EIGHT hundred officer and staff jobs will go within Thames Valley Police over the next four years, police said.

Thames Valley Police last night set its 2011/12 budget at £383m after the Government reduced the force’s funding allocation by 3.7 per cent.

Money to police Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire will fall by 11.75 per cent over the next four years.

Two hundred and fifty six police officer posts and 564 police staff posts will go over that period as part of a plan to save £50m.

Precisely how Oxfordshire will be affected is not yet known.

The force also agreed to freeze its share of the council tax precept, a move which entitles the Thames Valley Police Authority to a government grant worth £3.3m.

This means policing will cost taxpayers £154.30 in 2011/12 for a Band D property.

Police Authority chairman Khan Juna said: “We will continuously work to find greater efficiencies in non-staff costs in order to minimise redundancies as far as possible.

“Our priority is to maintain visible frontline policing and we are working with the Chief Constable to ensure we continue to provide the policing services local people want. “