GEORGE Osborne’s announcement that there will be no major cuts and an increase in funding for counter-terrorism has been welcomed by Cheshire Police bosses.

The Chancellor vowed to protect police budgets in his comprehensive spending review, much to the delight of Cheshire Constabulary's top brass.

John Dwyer, Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said he was ‘absolutely delighted’ with the news, which follows five years of spending cuts.

Mr Dwyer said: “We need to look at the detail of what this announcement means for the Constabulary – and this we won’t know for a few weeks until the government grant to Cheshire is announced.

“But following five years of budget reductions, I’m absolutely delighted that the Chancellor has listened to what I and my colleagues have been saying to him privately over the last few weeks.

“The headline message appears to be no real terms cuts to policing budgets, and a major increase in funding for counter-terrorism, which – given recent events and our own experiences over the last few years – is very welcome.

“As a Constabulary, we have clear plans in place to protect and if possible enhance frontline policing, and this was independently verified by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the police watchdog, in their recent ‘outstanding’ judgement.

“This settlement hopefully enables us to build on this.”

These views were echoed by Simon Byrne, Cheshire Chief Constable, who said the force has been able to deliver despite ‘financial challenges’.

“I am enormously proud of the work my officers do,” Mr Byrne said.

“Every day, I receive feedback from victims of crime highlighting the difference that our officers and staff make to their lives. And the fact that crime is at its lowest level in a generation, with improving detection rates, and an ‘outstanding’ rating from HMIC, shows how Cheshire Police has been able to deliver despite the financial challenges we have faced.

"So the news today that it appears that policing is to be protected from further reductions is very, very welcome news, as is the increase in counter-terrorism funding, given recent events.

“We will now await the detail from the Home Office.”