THE region’s police forces have been hit by bigger-than-expected cuts after their budgets were “top-sliced” to pay for other Home Office priorities.

They will lose around six per cent of the grants in 2015-16, more than the overall cut to the country’s overall policing budget – which will shrink by 4.9 per cent cut, or £299m.

The top-slicing drew criticism from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) which said forces would “prefer that this money was left in their budget to spend where there is most need”.

However, the region’s elected police chiefs - while warning of “challenges ahead” - stepped back from the near-apocalyptic language used by some other police forces in England.

In recent weeks, the chief constable of Lincolnshire has suggested his force could effectively go out of business, while an adviser in Hampshire spoke of a “very significant risk”.

But Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Conservative commissioner, said: “In our case, the doom and gloom scenarios over the last few days just aren’t warranted or accurate.

“Good decisions in the last few years have meant North Yorkshire Police is in a strong position to continue to deliver excellent services going forwards.”

In Durham, her Labour counterpart, Ron Hogg, said: “We should be able to maintain police officers and police community support officers at broadly our planned levels, especially those who are most visible to the public.

“But the Government must recognise that there will be a limit to how much they can cut before they will be putting services at risk.”

And Barry Coppinger, Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), said: “While these further cuts largely come as no surprise, they place further pressure on our police service which is already under resourced and overstretched.

“It’s time for the public and our local MPs to speak out about how far they are willing to let ministers go in juggling with public safety.”

However, police forces are yet to be told the level of the Government cap on their precept on council tax, which may also determine the funds they have available.

That will be announced today, alongside fresh local council cuts for 2015-16 – amid suggestions that Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is pushing for a one per cent limit on increases.

In a statement to MPs, the Home Office announced that cash from its shrinking pot was being shifted to counter- terrorism work and to police complaints and inspection procedures.

As a result, Durham police will receive £86.3m in 2015-16 (down from £90.6m this year), Cleveland £92.9m (£97.4m), North Yorkshire £77m (£80.7m) and Northumbria £227m (£238.3m).

Policing minister Mike Penning denied there were looming problems, saying “There is no question police will still have the resources to do their important work.”

However Sir Huge Orde, ACPO’s president, said “Most forces would prefer that this money was left in their budget to spend where there is most need in their force.”