Police forces in England and Wales will have to save around £500m every year over the next five years.

A Home Office White Paper is expected to say they should cut back on overtime and change how they buy computers, vehicles and cars – other proposals include officers patrolling alone instead of in pairs.

Police in all 43 forces are also to be given more discretion over the way they deal with less serious crimes, after a successful pilot scheme in four areas.

Police forces can never be too expensive when the numbers of crimes have risen both in numbers and sophistication over the years. The service is unavoidable if we want a crime-free society.

This proposal will put even more pressure on a dwindling resource. Not many forces are recruiting but bobbies are leaving in droves, be it through retirement or leaving to go back to better paid jobs with less red tape.

I think that too much money is spent on consultants and ineffective technology. Officers have little or no say on how technology is acquired or introduced, while millions are spent on bloated projects that ultimately achieve very little.

I also think there is huge scope for cost and efficiency savings, while also improving operational performance and the service provided to citizens and communities.

Police should have more money put into them to clean the streets. Police are over-stretched and under-paid. They risk their lives and health to keep us safe and deserve all the financial and emotional support this country can give.

Councillor Salim Mulla.