AVON and Somerset Chief Constable Colin Port, whose force could face a 4% cut in budget, said he would do everything to protect frontline policing “visible on the beat and invisible, behind the scenes”.

He added: “We’ll continue to try to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives or visits Avon and Somerset. Our commitment to dismantle, disrupt and destroy crime remains undiminished and we’ll do all we can to ensure our communities feel safe and are safe.”