THAMES Valley Police has shown one of the “strongest responses” to public funding cuts, its inspectorate has said.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) praised the force’s bid to cut £56.3m from 2011 to 2015, some 12 per cent of its budget.

It has already saved £33.4m by limiting officer recruitment, cutting police staff from 3,000 to 2,779 and centralising office services like personnel.

While the total number of officers will fall from 4,343 to 4,285, frontline staff will rise from 88 to 92 per cent, one of just four forces set for an increase.

The HMIC report said Thames Valley had kept a “strong focus on service delivery and crime”.

From 2010 to 2013 non-fraud crime fell 21 per cent compared with 13 per cent in England and Wales.

Detection rates were 24.9 per cent, below the 27 per cent average, but a survey found more people saw police on the beat.

The report said: “The force has demonstrated one of the strongest responses to the funding challenge.”

Chief Constable Sara Thornton praised officers’ hard work, which led to an “effective” response to cuts.