THREE senior chief constables spoke today of an impending policing crisis, admitting that the latest round of government cuts would leave them with officer numbers as low as in the 1970s.

The trio made the unprecedented warning after police in England and Wales were told that a £420 million pensions funding gap must be paid from their already reduced budgets.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, whose force has lost about 2,000 front-line officers during the Tories’ austerity drive, told the Guardian that there would be “little alternative” but to make further cuts, leaving him with 5,709 officers by March 2021 — fewer than the force’s total in 1975.

West Midlands Chief Constable David Thompson said that 500 officers’ jobs could be axed because his force’s unforeseen pensions expenses of £22.5m over the next two years would have to be found from its £514m budget. This would reduce its number of officers from 8,600 in 2010 to 6,000.

And Merseyside Chief Constable Andy Cooke warned that 300 of his officers could lose their jobs, reducing the force to 3,172, a 31 per cent reduction since 2010.

The Metropolitan Police estimates that it would have 900 fewer officers.

Since the Tories came to power in 2010 the government has cut police funding by 19 per cent and officer numbers across Britain have dropped by more than 20,000.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: “By slashing the policing budget even further the government is pushing police forces into crisis. As violent crime rises, already overstretched officers are being asked to do even more with even less.”

A Home Office spokesman said that Home Secretary Sajid Javid “has been clear that he will prioritise police funding at the next spending review.”