HAMPSHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has come under fire for agreeing to spend almost £250,000 on five new managerial jobs.

At a time when the force is making widespread cuts, Simon Hayes has announced the creation of posts for two new assistant commissioners and three departmental heads.

Although he says the move is necessary, it has been attacked as adding another layer of bureaucracy at a cost of £247,695 a year to taxpayers.

Mr Hayes was elected as Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s first commissioner in November, and is in charge of the £310m annual police budget and appointing the Chief Constable, among other duties.

Now he has announced a new, two-tier structure, which he says will help to more effectively deliver the region’s Police and Crime Plan.

The safer communities commissioner will have an annual salary of £20,400 and cost the authority £24,888 annually overall, while the criminal justice commissioner will have a salary of £30,600 and overall costs of £37,331.

There will also be three new departmental heads for commissioning, communications and engagement, and performance delivery.

Their annual salary will be £50,676 while their overall cost to the authority will be £61,825 each year.

A spokesman for the authority said funding the new wages will come from £271,000, which was allocated in previous budgets to cover allowances and expenses.

Mr Hayes said: “For me to provide the best possible service to the public I represent and to honour my election pledge, it is essential that I have a strong support team and a staffing structure in place that supports the delivery of my plan through full and pro-active engagement with the public, partners and stakeholders.”

But some have criticised the move, which comes at a time when Hampshire Constabulary has been forced into reducing staff numbers.

And new figures released by road safety charity Brake and webuyanycar.com show the number of traffic police in Hampshire has been reduced by more than a third over the past five years.

John Apter, chairman of the Hampshire Police Federation, said: “I’ve spoken to a number of officers who, at a time when cuts are being made, are surprised at this massive increase in staff in the commissioner’s office.

“I accept that the commissioner needs to have an office which he can depend upon, but it is up to him to justify to the public whether he has got a team which is top-heavy and unaffordable.”

Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: “Hampshire’s commissioner should focus on making the local force accountable to the electorate and keeping the burden to residents down.