RANK-and-file police officers in Sussex have launched an unprecedented attack on Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse.

A Police Federation joint branch board statement says it is losing confidence in him and wants immediate action.

The attack comes hot on the heels of criticism of current police policies by some West Sussex county councillors and members of the Sussex Police Federation.

The burning issue is the number of police in the front line.

For several years the force has been pursuing a policy of "smaller, better, different" but

there are a growing number of calls to boost the numbers of front-line officers.

The federation says the current policy has placed intolerable levels of stress on officers.

Federation joint chairman Insp Graham Alexander insisted this was not a vote of no confidence and he is hopeful the chief, currently off with flu, will respond positively.

A statement from the federation, sent to the chief and copied to all 3,000 Sussex officers, in part says the branch "wishes to formally express its concern that the internal management of this organisation is not conducive to the welfare and efficiency of its members."

It adds: "We are concerned that the resilience of all federated ranks is such that immediate steps must be taken to reverse the current thinking that we become smaller in terms of police officers.

"The Sussex Police Federation wishes to place on record that they are losing confidence in the Chief Constable."

Deputy Chief Constable Maria Wallis responded: "We recognise the depth of feeling that is being expressed and that this reflects a need to ensure that conditions for our staff are such that they are best able to provide the level of service they want to give and which the public rightly expects.

"We look forward to a continuing dialogue with the federation on these issues."

Mrs Wallis welcomed federation assurances that its members were doing their best to deliver the range of policing services in line with priorities set by the chief and Sussex Police Authority.

She said: "I know this to be the case and have no doubt about the commitment of all staff to achieving it."

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