Feeling the pinch from ‘austerity-driven budget cuts’, Surrey Police said it is to cut 400 jobs and £25million over the next four years, despite rising reports of rape, domestic abuse and incidents involving vulnerable people.

While the majority of the job losses will be made from ‘back office’ staff positions, some will be from the corps of officers, the Police Federation confirmed.

This would mean fewer officers on the streets of Epsom and Ewell.

Police Federation chairman Mike Dodds said: "These job losses will have a devastating impact. Whether it’s officers or staff, there will just be fewer people.

"But only time will tell.

"They stem from Conservative Government cuts; the fact is that there is far less money from central Government.

"This is something that’s been happening up and down the country and sadly Surrey is not immune."

Despite the cuts, Surrey Police also released data which show increased instances of serious crimes, including rape, domestic abuse and crimes against vulnerable people.

Surrey Police say up to 60 per cent of all incidents in the last three years involve a vulnerable victim, witness or offender.

In the same period reports of rape has jumped 153 per cent, and domestic abuse has increased by 34 per cent.

This has meant that the force will have to ‘prioritise’ these crimes over ones such as petrol theft, the Surrey Police has said.

Chief Constable Lynne Owens was accused by MPs of making life easier for Surrey criminals at a Home Affairs Select Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 3.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee asked: "Isn’t this a green light to the criminals that you can come to Surrey, fill up your car with petrol and you can make off and not be pursued?"

She replied: "No, of course there is an absolute responsibility on us when we are making risk, threat and harm judgements to understand what we need to do about the offences."

Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, Kevin Hurley said: "It has been impossible to escape the news stories highlighting desperate attempts by police forces and PCCs to mitigate the effects of these Government funding cuts."

In a separate statement, Chief Constable Owens assured residents that ‘visible local policing’ would still be ‘at the heart’ of the Surrey Police model, and that savings would be made through technological advances.