FEWER bobbies on the beat and reduced opening hours at rural police stations are due to £148million which has been slashed from budgets over the past decade, councillors have been told.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuinness praised the work undertaken by the force but said there was no money for more police community support officers (PSCOs) or longer station opening times.

Ms McGuinness attended a meeting of Hexham Town Council on Monday (October 10) and took part in a Q&A session with councillors.

Councillor Suzanne Fairless-Aitken asked whether there is a scope to increase the opening hours at rural police stations.

Ms McGuinness said if they had the money, they "would do it tomorrow".

She said while Hexham police station is "absolutely 24/7", the station's front desk is open from 9am until 5pm.

"Obviously those are really difficult decisions that the force has had to make based on their resources," she said.

She said since 2010, Northumbria Police has lost around £148million in budget costs.

The force has lost 1,100 officers and thousands of police staff, she said.

"And bearing in mind the front office staff are police staff," Ms McGuinness added.

"The government's uplift programme brings back about 600 but there's not funding for any more than that."

Ms McGuinness said Northumberland has seen "some really fantastic work", including by their rural policing team.

"I totally appreciate people want to see more police but we have to find more innovative ways to do things," she said.

Tynedale Neighbourhood Inspector Garry Neill, who was also at the meeting, said they still do have "quite a significant" policing presence in and around the town, although he admitted not at the levels seen previously in the past.

He added officers were more concentrated in the urban areas of the district.

Councillor Penny Grennan asked if there was any possibility in expanding the numbers of Police Community Support Officers (PSCO).

Ms McGuinness said there was no funding for this.

"It's a terrible shame," she said, adding that it is usually the PCSOs that people know as their neighbourhood cops.

Insp Neill said their role has "changed massively" due to the decrease in police officers, meaning the PCSOs are not always as visible and on the streets.

"It really has changed quite significantly," he said.

"I appreciate the fantastic job that they do."