MORE than 2000 civilian staff will be axed when Scotland's new single police force is created next year, leading to claims that beat bobbies will be left desk-bound.

One-third of workers currently employed by the country's soon-to-be-merged eight forces will lose their posts when the Police Service of Scotland is created in April 2013.

They include staff who field calls from the public, court liaison officers, forensics, human resources and admin employees.

The Scottish Police Federation and Unison, the trade union, warned it would lead to officers being taken off the streets.

It comes only four months after Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill wrote to Scotland's 17,000 police officers and civilian staff reassuring them they would keep their jobs.

The cutbacks, which only cover the first year, emerged at a meeting between police chiefs and unions. A total of 832 police support staff have been cut in the past year.

Scottish Police Federation chairman Les Gray said: "Common sense dictates you should never dispense with civilian staff and replace them with police officers. Economically it is just plain daft. All of these staff contribute to the frontline. Without them the frontline would not exist."

Critics say Government promises of an extra 1000 police officers leave no flexibility and will ultimately mean officers will have no support staff.

Peter Veldon, Unison's staff side-secretary for the police and fire services, said members would be balloted about strike action.

He added: "In the first year, there will be a threat to 2000 staff jobs. This will mean police officers – on double the salary – having to leave the streets to go back to their desks to do call-handling, forensics, intelligence and administrative work.

"The Government has a dilemma, though, because it has said there will be no compulsory redundancies. We have serious concerns about how this will work."

He said the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the body representing Scotland's councils, wanted to save an extra £5 million this year in a move he said would affect mostly low-paid female shift workers. He added: "We are drawing up papers for a consultative ballot on strike action next month."

In October, Mr MacAskill told officers in a letter: "All officers and staff in post when the new organisation is established will transfer to the Scottish Police Service on the day of establishment."

It added: "We have also made clear ... there should be no compulsory redundancies."

Graeme Pearson, a Labour MSP and the former head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said: "This comes from a minister who denied there were any cuts in the first place. I raised concerns eight weeks ago about the numbers of support staff that had already been cut and he indicated that was fanciful and there would be no substantial cuts."

David O'Connor, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, called for a balanced workforce and said the latest issue was unhelpful because Scotland needed a "model of policing". He added: "It is imperative we have the right people with the right skills and training doing the right jobs at the right time. Commanders would prefer highly trained officers were carrying out their duties."

Kevin Smith, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and chief constable of Central Scotland Police, is leading the transition to the single force.

He said: "One of our many challenges is also to ensure there is an effective balance between the complement of police officers and police staff. We are absolutely determined not to bring police officers off the street to fill roles previously performed by police staff."

The new force is expected to cost £234m over five years, while saving £351m. But the

Government said savings could amount to £1.4 billion over 15 years because cutting out duplication of certain roles would save £40m a year.

A spokesman said: "The police service cannot exist in its current form. It would be irresponsible for this Government to maintain the status quo and allow Westminster budget cuts to plunder this vital service. South of the Border cuts in UK Government funding mean 16,000 police officers could lose their jobs.

"We will make sure this does not happen in Scotland. We see our officers as an asset and the lifeblood of the service. That's why we have put 1000 extra officers on our streets and why our plans for the new Police Service of Scotland will protect the frontline."

He said ministers were clear reform of the police service "needs to take place to reduce unnecessary duplication and doing things eight times over". He added each force would have its own finance and HR departments and any staffing cuts would be done though "retiring staff or voluntary exit schemes".

l Another 3000 Ministry of Defence posts are to be axed, in addition to 25,000 already announced, the Prospect union said last night.