Dorset Police will be cutting 248 jobs by March 2012 in order for the force to save £18million over the next four years.

The staggering loss to the county’s force was agreed yesterday by members of the Dorset Police Authority who had to make their hardest decision to date.

Chairman of the authority Mike Taylor told members “we live in tough times” as they heard a report from the force’s Chief Constable Martin Baker.

He told the authority that the ‘worst case scenario’ would mean losing 530 staff by 2015 – 20 per cent of the work force.

Mr Baker told the Echo: “There is absolutely no doubt that as a result of the financial situation in which we find ourselves, Dorset Police will in future have fewer officers and staff.

“Quite what this will look like in terms of exact numbers is a work in progress.”

He stressed that “it is important to recognise that a reduction in the number of people in our workforce does not necessarily equate to that number of individuals losing their jobs or a reduction in our performance.”

He confirmed that all stations in Dorset will be assessed and if savings can be made by entering into a shared community arrangement it will.

The only station this currently applies to is Swanage – where the force is talking to Purbeck District Council about using a shared area in the town hall.

Despite the financial situation, authority members voted against a proposal to increase the authority's share of council tax, which will remain frozen for next year.

Chairman of Dorset Police Federation, Clive Chamberlain, told the authority that he was disappointed with the government’s decision to impose such dramatic cuts that are “setting up forces to fail”.

After the meeting he said that “morale was low” amongst the force’s staff, who are dealing with this news alongside a recruitment freeze.