DEVON and Cornwall Police force is set to receive a greater contribution from the Government towards its budget from 2019/20.

Of the 44 forces in the country, Devon and Cornwall will receive the 12th largest increase to its core funding (3.4 per cent) and the ninth largest increase to its pensions funding (3.3 per cent).

Nationally the police budget will increase by £161million to £7.8billion with an additional £153million of specific funding for pension contributions.

The Government is also giving Police and Crime Commissioners the flexibility to increase local Council Tax precepts by £2 a month or £24 a year, which could raise a further £509million across the UK if all Police and Crime Commissioners chose to do this.

Welcoming the additional funding from the Government Central Devon MP and Treasury Minister Mel Stride said: “It is vital that police forces have the funding to do their job, particularly the increasing demands on them in terms of tackling cyber-crime and counter-terrorism.

"The fact that Devon and Cornwall Police will see above an inflation increase in Government funding for 2019-20 plus increased help with pension contributions is very good news.

"I know from meetings I have held over many years with police officers in my constituency how hard they work covering a huge geographical area and they deserve our support.”