TRAFFORD has the lowest allocation of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Greater Manchester.

The Home Office announced last November that they would boost nationwide police forces with 1,600 new PCSOs through £50 million of additional funding.

The announcement was intended to highlight the Government's commitment towards a 'high visibility' neighbourhood policing strategy and it was revealed that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) would receive 68 new PCSOs.

But SAM can reveal - at a time when the division is about to lose 24 police officers - that none of the new PCSO recruits will be allocated to Trafford.

Altrincham and Sale West MP Graham Brady said he was "very concerned" that there is no additional allocation for Trafford. The Conservative MP added: "One of the very significant problems with the Government's approach is that they find more PCSOs in the short term but in the long term the cost falls on the general budget for policing."

Leader of Trafford council Susan Fildes said: "The Trafford Conservative Group would like to see more full-time and fully-trained police officers on the beat.

"Trafford Conservatives will examine the possibility of using PCSO monies to reverse the cuts to front-line policing services that we have witnessed over the past few weeks.""

But Stretford and Urmston MP Bev Hughes said: "I am dismayed to be informed by the police that the Conservative council have refused to put in their contribution alongside the Government's latest substantial new money. Unlike other local councils, this penny pinching by Trafford's Tories mean that Trafford will not get its share of the large number of PCSOs that the Government has provided for."

The deployment of PCSOs is determined after consultation with Trafford's divisional police commander and council executive - who must support the financing of PCSOs.

The Home Office will provide 100 per cent funding for the new PCSOs for the first 15 months, followed by funding of at least 75 per cent in 2006-07.