AS Greater Manchester Police works out how it is going to save £157m over the next three years, it has been announced it is facing a further £28m being chopped from its budget in 2015/2016.

Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said the latest cut could pay for 560 police officers. The news also comes as the force faces a £70m black hole in its own budget

Mr Lloyd said: “It’s unacceptable and disappointing that the ordinary, hard-working people of Greater Manchester are once again bearing the brunt of these irresponsible funding cuts.

“Policing Minister Mike Penning claims that this government is committed to providing police with the resources they need for their work. The latest budget announcement shows that this is simply not true.

“In Greater Manchester we have not shied away from the financial challenges we face and have already transformed how policing is delivered and developed close working relationships with other agencies.

According the the commissioner, there was already 1,100 fewer officers on the streets of Greater Manchester with the further loss of another 800 to come.

He said communities were being put at risk by the government which was planning to claw back a near £12m grant from GMP to pay for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the City of London police.

He added: "This money is meant to provide a financial lifeline for police forces dealing with unpredictable circumstances, so taking this money direct from frontline policing makes no sense and defeats the purpose of the special grant."