Police numbers in Sussex have fallen by 233 since Labour was elected, ministers have admitted.

But they said there had been an increase of 40 officers in the four months to January this year, leaving the total at 2,851.

Home Office minister Charles Clarke said the officer numbers in Sussex had "bottomed out".

He told the Argus: "Since 1993, there has been a downward trend in police numbers.

"However, that has bottomed out and it is starting to move in the opposite direction.

"The increase of 40 in recent months is positive and people must be pleased with that."

He praised the efforts of local authorities in helping to attract new officers.

The figures, released in a Parliamentary answer yesterday, show Sussex had 3,085 officers in March 1997.

Tory MPs, preparing for a General Election, say the figures show Labour has failed in its pledge to be "tough on crime".

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton has claimed his constituents were living in fear because of the reduction in officer numbers.

Hove Labour MP Ivor Caplin today said more resources were now being given to the police.

He said: "We would expect to have recruited a further 200 police officers in the next couple of years to continue the programme of rebuilding the force as a public service.

"The funding is in place and it is now a matter of recruitment."

The statistics reveal the number of civilian police staff in Sussex has risen by 299 since March 1997, to 1,448.

Sussex Police confirmed numbers of officers were climbing up again.

Spokesman Chris Oswick explained one reason for the drop in numbers.

During the year 1998 to 1999, when the total fell from 3,062 to 2,962, divisional commanders were given their own budgets to manage and some were more cautious than others with regards to employment numbers.

Mr Oswick said numbers were now almost back up to the 3,000 mark and were set to increase by a further 49 by the end of next month and another 82 by next April.