THE new police and crime commissioner for Dyfed-Powys Police has put a freeze on recruiting civilian staff.

Defending the move, PCC Christopher Salmon - whose role covers policing in Hay-on-Wye and Presteigne - said “none of us are immune from austerity”.

In his full statement, Mr Salmon said: "I have imposed a freeze on the recruitment of all police staff for Dyfed-Powys Police effective from today. This will not affect police officer or police community support officer recruitment.

“The Chancellor’s statement on Wednesday confirmed how tough these times are and that pressure on the public finances will increase. We have to be prudent in the face of this uncertainty.

“None of us are immune from austerity and the police service has to play its part in helping to tackle the deficit. I will consider all options to reduce costs while, delivering an effective police service for the people of Dyfed Powys.

“The Force has done a fantastic job of managing austerity over the last two years. This week’s announcement confirms we have further to go. We need to restructure the way we do business to meet these challenges and the changing demands of our times.

“After meeting officers and staff in the past few weeks I’m in no doubt that we can do this. The energy, dedication and enthusiasm are there across the Force. I look forward to working with the team to deliver even better services for our people in the coming years.”