SMALL towns and villages in the Oxfordshire are being "devastated" by the effects of "unprecedented" policing cuts, the force federation has warned.

Chairman of Thames Valley Police Federation, which represents rand and file officers, Graham Smith said the impact of ongoing austerity cuts to the force would result in a "less responsive police service".

It comes after Chief Constable Francis Habgood admitted the force could lose another 100 officers and 200 staff before 2020 as part of plans to save £15.6m.

The number of officers has already fallen by nearly 200 since 2010, with just over 4,200 currently on the force.

Mr Smith said: "This may seem like small numbers from the outside, but actually that is huge.

"If you take ten officers from a small station, their ability to respond to crime and provide a good service is devastated."

The federation said the force "has always had" a low number of officers for the area it covers, but added the growing population means officers are being stretched evermore thinly.

Despite the cuts, at a briefing last month Mr Habgood guaranteed to "meet the needs" of the public despite the force facing further austerity cuts and falling officer numbers.

The chief constable challenged claims the force was "doing policing on the cheap" and vowed to maintain neighbourhood policing, give officers more time on the beat and invest cash to tackle rising crimes such as child sexual exploitation and domestic abuse.

Nationally, more than 20,000 police officers have been cut in the past five years.

Mr Smith added: "What are the consequences of this? The whole country is ending up with a less responsive police service.

"We cannot get to the public or respond to them as they would want.

"But actually what it means is more demand on those officers remaining and more demand on their time, which obviously creates more stress and pressure on those officers. "This is having a knock on effect on officers who are suffering from mental illness which is potentially down to the demand that is placed upon them because of this reduction in workforce."

Last month it was reported that police officers are more likely to be affected with stress, anxiety and depression – with a 14 per cent rise on mental illness on the year before.

Mr Smith added: "Someone at the very top of this country has to make a decision whether the safety of people in England and Wales is paramount in their thinking because if you don’t have a safe country you won’t have a successful society."

The Government has said there is no cut in the cash which goes to police forces as long as the amount raised through the council tax precept is maximised.