Thames Valley Police will face major problems keeping staff following a new pay deal, according to the Police Federation.

The pay deal was rejected by 71 per cent of officers in Thames Valley.

But the force had no choice but to accept it because it was negotiated nationally with the Government.

The Police Federation says that the extra £402 a year for all ranks showed the Government wanted policing on the cheap.

Home Secretary David Blunkett agreed to increase the basic wage in return for a 15 per cut in overtime payments over the next three years.

The agreement also closes a loophole on sick pay which enables officers to claim half pay indefinitely while on long periods of sick leave. Insp Martin Elliott, chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said the changes meant officers could still not afford to buy a house in Oxfordshire.

He said: "We are about 150 officers short at the moment but as soon as we bring people in, others leave.

"This increase is very complicated and we worry that our staff retention problems are going to get even worse. An extra £402 won't help anybody get a mortgage and we expect many officers to leave the area and return to where they are originally from."