英伦广角 2011-03-20 英国警察叫板政府大裁员（在线收听）

However dangerous the situation, their job is to protect and serve us.

We are dealing with people's safety, people's lives into the day, and police officers are expected to do that, and by doing it, apparently on the cheap, we will affect the public.

They cost us 11 billion pounds a year, a bill the government says must be cut.

Punishing is in this way by withdrawing the things that you said in a contract you're going to give to us, and I think it's unfair.

Like most public servants, officers have already seen that pay frozen, but the home secretary's already made it clear, that won't be enough.

I know that some will reject in principle the very idea of reviewing police paying conditions, but I remind them that those savings will save the jobs of police men and women.

Separate figures released yesterday showing the police overtime payments have almost doubled over the past decade, will it strengthen the government hand with the public, but arguing the case before this report's even out has cast doubt over its independence.The review's author, the former rail regulator Tom Winser has been asked to look at not just pay and overtime, but also generous housing and traveler allowances, shift patterns and arrangements for retirement and redundancy.

At the moment, police can't be laid off, because they are classed to service at the crown. Officers insist they're worth the money.

If you're gonna locate in police on a cheap, then you have to expect the results are, maybe not gonna be the same as when you throw money at her.

Police officers aren't allowed to strike, but they can protest and refuse to perform certain duties. With a royal wedding and the Olympics on the horizon, and the government determined to cut the budget, consider the battle lines between police and parliament well untruly drawn.

Rachel Younger, Sky News.