Police forces are "struggling to deliver effective services to the public" due to cuts to funding and staffing, a new report has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) - the government spending watchdog - has published an in-depth review covering policing across England and Wales, with arrest rates and victim satisfaction levels both found to be on the slide.

Crimes are also said to be leading to fewer charges and less is being done to proactively tackle offences such as drug trafficking and drink-driving.

In a damning assessment of the current state of police funding, the report suggests that the situation "could get worse" if the Home Office does not "direct resources to where they are needed".

The report accuses the department of a "light touch" approach, with falling funding and staffing levels in the last eight years contributing to increased levels of "high harm" crimes and a heightened terror threat.


Image: The report warns that arrest rates have fallen since 2014-15

Sir Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "There are signs that forces are already experiencing financial strain and struggling to deliver effective services to the public.

"If the Home Office does not understand what is going on it will not be able to direct resources to where they are needed, with the risk that the situation could get worse."

The total police budget for 2018-19 is £12.3bn, but the NAO says overall funding to forces - made up of central government grants and council tax - has fallen by 19% in real terms since 2010-11.

Job cuts are the main way in which forces have attempted to manage the financial squeeze, with the number of PCSOs, police staff and officers down 40%, 21% and 15% respectively since 2010.

Even cash held in reserves for "exceptional" events has dropped 20% in the past two years, now standing at £1.7bn.

According to the NAO, the Home Office produced its own internal report back in November, in which it concluded that forces were facing increased pressure in meeting demand.

Image: Home Secretary Sajid Javid says he will review police funding

Home Secretary Savid Javid has since pledged to prioritise police funding in the next spending review, but as it stands the NAO has said the department's oversight of policing does not represent "value for money".

Mr Javid will address the Police Superintendents' Association on Tuesday, during which he will emphasise his commitment to ensuring forces are "equipped to deal with the changing crime landscape".

Ahead of his speech, a Home Office spokesman said: "Our decision to empower locally-accountable police and crime commissioners to make decisions using their local expertise does not mean that we do not understand the demands on police forces.

"In addition, the report does not recognise the strengths of PCCs and chief constables leading on day-to-day policing matters, including on financial sustainability.

"We remain committed to working closely with police and delivered a £460m increase in overall police funding in 2018/19, including increased funding for local policing through council tax."