A senior police officer told watchdogs to "get real" with their demands for community policing.

Deputy Chief Constable Maria Wallis, told members of the Sussex Police Authority: "You can't expect us to get crime down and do all the things you tell us. There is a need to get real."

Members said community beat officers were forever having to help with other inquiries and Geoffrey Theobald wanted a target to ensure they were in their beat areas for 90 or 95 per cent of the time.

Colin Marsh said: "Community beat officers are the only ones the public normally sees and removing them destroys confidence."

But Mrs Wallis told members the force had investigated 20 murders in a year, had had to temporarily disband the force crime and drug unit to provide personnel for the inquiries, and had had to deal with the biggest terrorist threat in years.

Sussex Police was expected to meet force performance targets and authority members needed to look at the force as a whole.

Mrs Wallis has been appointed Deputy Chief Constable, with effect from January 6 and said she was looking forward to working with the new Chief Constable, Ken Jones, who takes up his job on January 7.