MERSEYSIDE Police could have up to 800 fewer officers on the beat by 2014 as the force seeks to prune tens of millions from its annual budget.

A meeting of senior staff was called yesterday to try to decide how best to manage a possible 25% Home Office budget cut indicated by the recent emergency budget, with the axe poised to fall on staff.

No one knows what cuts Merseyside Police will have to make until a spending review in October but senior officers are believed to be preparing for the worst.

As many as 800 police officers and a similar number of civilian staff could go.

A recruitment freeze has already been put in place which senior officers hope will net 200 ‘natural wastage’ positions a year.

The anti-social behaviour task force is under threat, while specialist units including the rape suite, asset tracking and recovery, the serious and organised crime specialist Force Crime Operations Unit and High-tech crime unit could be amalgamated.

It is understood the anti-gun Matrix squad will be protected.

At present there are 4,500 police officers on Merseyside and around 3,000 civilian support staff.