Thames Valley Police support staff could have their pay rises slashed as the force cuts more than £22m from its budget over the next two years.

Leaders of trade union Unison, which represents police staff, including community support officers (PCSOs), fear redundancies could be on the cards.

The move would not affect police officers, whose pay is agreed by the Government, but could affect 3,462 police staff whose pay is set by the authority.

The news comes after the force announced it must cut £9.5m from its budget for 2006-07.

Last year it feared it would have to cut £18.8m from the budget over two years, due to a shortfall in Government funding, including up to £7m in 2006-07.

But the £7m figure has risen to £9.5m because the force is unable to increase its share of council tax funding by more than the Government maximum of five per cent.

Thames Valley Police Authority members have called on accountants to look into reducing budgeted pay rises from three per cent to 2.5 per cent.

Rod Matheson, Thames Valley Police Unison representative, said: "It will depend on what the final outcome of the police authority's budget is, but I would rather there were no cuts at all."

Mr Matheson was aware the authority had talked about cutting pay rises rather than jobs, but still feared redundancies could be on the cards.

He said: "You can bet your bottom dollar not one police officer will be made redundant. Where are the savings going to come from?

"It will be manpower at the end of the day. I wouldn't like to try to pre-empt what Thames Valley Police will do, but I am old enough and ugly enough to have a pretty good idea where any savings are going to be made."

Acting Chief Constable Sara Thornton, speaking at yesterday's Thames Valley Police Authority meeting, said: "The cuts we are making are not cuts in services but cuts in proposed growth.

"There is still provision for 37 more police officers in next year's budget and we have managed to put in growth for police staff, 124 PCSOs and about 40 other staff to support front-line services, custody suites and major crime."

The police authority agreed to consider the option of budgeting for 2.5 per cent pay rises for all officers and staff in its 2006-07 accounts.

But police officers' annual pay rises are set by the Home Office and, if they are higher than 2.5 per cent, the force will have to find the extra cash.

It also agreed to look into the option of increasing the amount of money it borrows to fund its vehicle replacement programme.

Authority members will discuss the issue again in February. Treasurer Bob Atkyns said it could then consider further reductions, including set-up and training costs for PCSOs and the number of new police staff jobs set to be created.

Meanwhile, the Thames Valley Police Authority is urging MPs to support its request to not merge.

Members are visiting individual MPs to tell them about the force's work, and explain why it should stand alone rather than combine with another force under Government plans to restructure the UK's police forces.

One of the proposals put forward has been for Thames Valley Police to merge with neighbouring Hampshire.