Government proposals to increase employer contributions to the police pension scheme could impact on plans for more officers in Hertfordshire, according to Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd.

The Government has drawn up plans to reduce the ‘pension discount rate’ on public sector pension payments.

In Hertfordshire it is estimated the force would have to find an extra £2.5 million.

Commissioner David Lloyd told a meeting of the county council's police and crime panel last Thursday that the changes would have a “huge impact” on plans to recruit more police in the county.

Panel chairman Cllr Tim Hutchings is now set to write to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss to ask for the plans to be urgently reconsidered.

Nationally it has been estimated that the move would take £165 million away from policing budgets.

It is said it would “significantly impact” on the financial planning already undertaken by police and crime commissioners and chief constables.

Mr Lloyd told the panel: “I would urge you all to write to your local MPs. We do need to ensure they recognise the impact.

“If this goes through it will have a huge impact on policing across the country – and it will have an impact here.”

Mr Lloyd said that it had been one of his pledges to keep the policing element of the council tax low – and that it remained one of the lowest in the country.

But, he said, even if he was to submit to raise the council tax ‘precept’ by £12 on a band D property, most of it would be taken up by the increased pension costs.

And, he says, it would impact on plans to continue to increase the number of police officers serving in Hertfordshire.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner said: “The pensions issue has still not been finalised and we know that discussions are still in process.

“However, our understanding is that under the current proposals the cost to Hertfordshire in its first year of implementation would be in the region of £2.5million which, of course, would be money that would not then be available to invest in further policing.”