A POLICE and crime commissioner shares "common goals" with a police union but has hit out at claims cuts will put the public at risk.

The Police Federation today (Thursday) warned that the people of Worcestershire were being put at risk by police cuts. Russell Yeomans, chairman elect of West Mercia Police Federation said: "The public are being put at risk and it is only going to get worse."

The organisation, which represents the areas 1,800 frontline police officers, fears the impact of £36.9 million in budget cuts.

They said the force had lost more than 450 officers in the last four years at a time when there was a greater threat from online crime and terror attacks.

The Federation also criticised West Mercia for closing 33 police buildings to save £1.5 million.

But PCC Bill Longmore said: "I think the Federation is right to highlight that there are potential issues we could face if policing continues to see major cutbacks from government in the future, but for the moment that is all hypothetical.

"In terms of the ‘here and now’, I am confident that the people of West Mercia get a good policing service, and they are not ‘at risk’ as the Federation claims.

"Almost two-thirds of our annual budget still comes directly from the government grant, and that has been consistently reduced year-on-year recently. This year alone, we have seen £6m wiped off what we get from Whitehall.

"The need to make savings has undoubtedly been government led, but it doesn't necessarily mean service levels have been compromised, indeed we have found some innovative ways of sustaining service levels on a much tighter budget.

"As things stand now, we won't be reducing the number of officers any further. We are actively recruiting for new officers to sustain our current numbers, and there are actually more officers on the streets now in West Mercia than there were 12 months ago.

"I do take issue with the Police Federation's claim that people in West Mercia are 'being put at risk'. I have the upmost respect for the Federation and its members, but I feel that specific claim is unfair and inaccurate."