DORSET Police Authority has set a budget of nearly £124 million for the next financial year.

The figure is a 2.9 per cent increase on this year’s figure despite a five per cent reduction in its government grant.

Chief Constable Martin Baker told authority members that huge savings had already been made and that he was confident he could maintain frontline services.

He said: “The scale of the financial challenge cannot be underestimated. However, the force is in a strong position to meet the challenge and maintain performance on crime reduction, customer satisfaction and public confidence.”

Millions of pounds have been saved due to a recruitment freeze, which is set to continue into 2011/12. Travel costs, major operations, capital budgets and the force helicopter have also contributed to the savings.

Police authority chairman Mike Taylor said: “The amount announced for Dorset is broadly in line with what we expected. The financial prospects over the next four years will undoubtedly be extremely challenging. However, the authority and force have been planning for the scale of reduction.”