Lincolnshire Police faces a severe financial crisis after Labour “broke their promise” over funding for an RAF base which has turned into an asylum seeker centre.
The force must now scavenge for £14million in savings for the 2025/26 financial year while receiving just £136,000 of a promised £4million for policing RAF Scampton.
Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones described the situation as “dire straits” – far beyond the usual difficult circumstances.
The RAF Scampton funding shortfall emerged in a Home Office letter received on Friday, the same day the force held crucial meetings about its financial predicament.
The RAF Scampton funding shortfall emerged in a Home Office letter received on Friday
PA
The force has warned that around 400 staff and officer positions could be cut without urgent Government funding.
Chief Constable Paul Gibson told the committee: “I knew money would be issue when I joined Lincolnshire Police, but it’s stark to see how threadbare it is compared to other forces in the East Midlands.”
He warned that cuts would transform them “to be a far more reactive force which has to respond and investigate, away from proactive, preventative force we aspire to be.”
The Chief Constable added that while improvements requested by His Majesty’s Constabulary were achievable, they would be difficult to implement “while we’re making deep cuts”.
“Two years ago, we received some funding along with an assurance that this would be a multi-year agreement,” Jones told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
He added: “This leaves us having spent money on something that was a failed Home Office project which cost them £60m, yet they’re not prepared to pay their bills for what we incurred trying to manage it.”
The funding had been earmarked for recruiting additional officers and implementing digital technology to reduce desk time.
“That money would have saved £4million of services for residents this year. It’s regrettable they’ve decided to make that choice,” Jones said.
Keir Starmer and now MP for Lincoln Hamish Falconer discussed the last Government’s plans to house asylum seekers in RAF Scampton
PA
The asylum seeker centre plans for RAF Scampton were scrapped by the new Labour Government in September last year.
Now, the force continues to face difficult staffing decisions, with around 60 officers typically leaving each year through retirement or career changes.
As officers cannot be made redundant, the force may implement a three-year recruitment freeze to achieve the required reductions through natural attrition.
This freeze would work alongside cuts to civilian staff positions to meet the financial targets.
The budget pressures are particularly acute as Lincolnshire Police receives the lowest funding per person in the country.
Leaders have long campaigned for reform of the funding formula that determines police budgets, which they have argued is shared out to Lincolnshire’s disadvantage.
