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The starting salary for police constables working in England and Wales will be cut by as much as £4,000 to £19,000 from April 2013, it has been announced. 16/01/2013

The decision by home secretary Theresa May comes after a review was carried out by ex-rail regulator and current chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales Tom Winsor in 2011.

The report suggested the system of paying police needs to be changed to reward those who do the hardest jobs and use specialist skills.

He also explained the new system would encourage the brightest and best to join the police service, and give bosses the tools they need to manage their workforces flexibly and efficiently.

The government agreed pay should be based on skills rather than the amount of time served in the force, noting this flexibility is required due to different challenges being faced by forces in different parts of the country.

The reforms, which are expected to save £140million over the next five years, mean the starting salary for those with little or no relevant experience will be £19,000 from April.

On the other hand, those with some experience, such as time spent as a volunteer cadet or special constable, will start on £22,000.

In addition, the new system should make it easier for constables, where warranted, to progress to the top of the pay scale - approximately £36,000 - more quickly.

Chief constable Peter Fahy, lead on workforce development at the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) , commented, 'In a service where over 80% of budget is spent on people, it is more vital than ever that we have terms and conditions for all staff that both reward them for what they do and represent value for money.'

However, Labour's shadow policing minister David Hanson said, 'There is a real worry that the proposed starting salary for all police officers will damage the ability of police forces to recruit officers of the right skills and experience.'