NOW is not the time to make cuts which could result in 1,000 police jobs being scrapped, according to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley.

Anthony Stansfeld says he hopes Home Secretary Theresa May will “negotiate considerably smaller cuts” ahead of the police budget announcement next week.

It comes as the force is preparing to lose between 25 and 40 per cent of its Government grant, which currently provides 66% of its funding.

Mr Stansfeld said with all that had being going on in Paris, now was not the time to make cuts which could harm local intelligence.

He said the Paris terror attacks, in which 130 people died in the French capital last Friday, “strengthened” Mrs May’s case against front line policing cuts.

Mr Stansfeld added: “Now is not the time to make cuts. We have already taken £70m out of TVP and I think that is precisely enough.

“I cannot know the sum of money until next week. We have estimated that if the cuts were at 25 per cent, we may have to lose 1,000 police posts.

“A lot more money is being given to the intelligence service, but that deals with high level intelligence. If they introduce more cuts, it reduces the level of local intelligence.”

The Thames Valley PCC met Mrs May three weeks ago to raise his concerns over the proposed cuts. Mr Stansfeld was one of seven PCCs across the country who threatened the Home Office with legal action over the reforms.