Doubts were expressed today whether the announcement of 112 new officers for Sussex Police was enough.

The Home Office yesterday granted the force £700,000 for 22 recruits to start training this year and 45 in the following two years.

But rank and file officers, through their Police Federation branch, said it was not enough, and the Sussex Police Authority said it was disappointed. Sussex had bid for 135 officers as its share of 5,000 extra police nationwide, announced by Home Secretary Jack Straw through his Crime Fighting Fund.

Sussex Police Authority chairman Margaret Johnson said: "I am disappointed our bid was not accepted in full because the community of Sussex is clearly telling us that is what they want. On the other hand, I am relieved we are getting as many as we are."

Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse, on record as saying there is no proof more police equals lower crime, said he was pleased. He said: "We have been working to move our staff out of the back room and into the front line."

Sussex Police Federation spokesman Graham Alexander said the new recruits would not solve the force's problems. He said: "By our calculations the force is 150 officers down on the strength we had in 1996. And crime has gone up substantially since then."

The force admits numbers have fallen in recent years, but by hiring extra civilians it claims it has increased the number of officers in the front line.

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