DUDLEY North MP Ian Austin has hit out at David Cameron’s decision to plough ahead with police cuts despite recent riots.

The Prime Minister told recalled MPs in the House of Commons on August 11 that the planned reductions to police budgets over the next four years would still go ahead - despite fresh calls for a rethink following riots and looting in cities across the country.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has spoken out against the cuts and has even called for more officers.

Labour MP Mr Austin revealed how West Midlands Police is expected to lose over 1,000 officers and staff as it seeks to try to achieve a £125 million saving over the next four years.

He said: “These figures will rightly shock people in Dudley. No one wants to see fewer police officers on our streets, or fewer police officers working to solve serious crimes.

“The extra police on the streets in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton during the recent riots made a big difference in restoring calm.

“The Tory-led Government needs to urgently rethink the scale of its cuts to police officers and police budgets. Now is not the time to cut 1,250 police officers in the West Midlands.

“This Government is taking a gamble with policing and public safety and I will be raising this with the Home Secretary. David Cameron needs a plan to cut crime, not a plan to cut police officers.”

But Dudley South Tory MP Chris Kelly has given his backing to Mr Cameron’s refusal to do a u-turn and believes the cuts, which are set to be around 15 per cent of the force, are “totally achievable without any reductions in visible policing”.

Mr Kelly MP said: “Today we still have 7,000 trained police officers in back office jobs. Part of our programme of reform is about freeing up police for frontline duties.”

Brockmoor and Pensnett ward councillor Judy Foster, who is also vice chairman of West Midlands Police Authority, said 640 officers with more than 30 years experience have already been forced to retire in 2010/11 to help kickstart the savings process.

A further 280 staff (officers plus 108 civilian support workers) have been earmarked for the chop between now and 2012. But the number of civilians set to lose their jobs could rise to more than 500.

Cllr Foster (Labour) said: “I’ve always maintained these cuts are too much too soon.

“If you take people out of the back office like West Midlands is having to do there’s a risk police officers could end up taking on some of the functions performed by non police officers.

“West Midlands Police have admirably managed to address issues over the last few days but in the long term it will become far more difficult to sustain.”

She said she would continue to lobby for the budget cut to be reassessed.