Police boss welcomes officers' pay rise - but questions who will foot the bill

After a number of years of pay freezes and an increase in the cost of living, PCC Dafydd Llywelyn welcomed the 2.5 per cent pay increase .

But he said that it was yet another financial pressure to be met by the public.

He said: “Earlier this year I had a very difficult decision to make in raising the council tax for policing by 10.7per cent. I was left with no choice but to do this in order to sustain the level of service for the residents of Dyfed-Powys. This still left the force in a difficult and precarious position, but through hard work and determination, the books balanced.

“As we continue to work on a sustainable financial plan to meet a myriad of future cost pressures, including additional costs for pensions passed on by government, this pay award is yet another burden. These pressures eat further and further into the budgets to support already stretched policing on the ground. While the much needed and overdue pay increase gives with one hand, it risks taking away with the other.

Mr Llyweyn said he was calling on the Treasury, through the police grant, to step up and provide forces with the necessary funds to deliver a policing service which meets evolving demands.

“More than half of Dyfed-Powys Police’s budget now comes from the pockets of the communities it serves. While the precept paid by the residents of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys remains the lowest of the four Welsh forces, the default position by government should not be to continue to push the burden back to our communities.”