POLICE chiefs say they do not yet know whether Oxfordshire bobbies will lose their jobs next year as part of budget cuts announced by the coalition Government.

Oxfordshire Commander Chief Supt Brendan O’Dowda said he would know later this year if he would be forced to axe frontline officers because of the huge savings to be made from the force’s budget.

Thames Valley Police insists officer and Pcso numbers will not be affected until after March next year, although they must make £3.4m of savings before then.

This week, Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, warned current police numbers were “not sustainable” in the face of budget cuts.

In December, Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Sara Thornton pledged she would maintain officer numbers in the face of cuts.

Last night Mr O’Dowda said: “In the short term, we will absolutely not lose officers, but I do not know what the future holds.”

There are 155 Pcsos in Oxfordshire and 961 police officers, including higher ranks.

Among the measures approved by the Thames Valley Police Authority to help save cash, is sharing forensic, legal services and IT systems, with Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex.

Additional savings will come from other budgets, including agency staff, overtime and consultancies.

The police will also be reviewing its vehicle fleet and could sell off some vehicles.

Mr O’Dowda said the changes would make the force “slicker and leaner”.

He added: “We are looking at ways we can manage our fleet more efficiently.

“We are going to be looking at overtime. Solving crime doesn’t necessarily mean throwing money at it through overtime.”

He said there would also be better management of agency staff employed part-time for admin jobs.

And he pledged: “What this will not be about, certainly at the moment, is a reduction in frontline numbers, a reduction in visibility and services we give to the public.

“It’s about delivering the same service with less, and doing it more efficiently.”