HAMPSHIRE police will not recruit any new officers for the frontline until at least the end of the year.

The force says that it is unlikely to launch another recruitment drive before late 2009 despite predicting that it will have shed enough jobs by April to help balance the books.

As the Daily Echo revealed last October, Hampshire Constabulary chiefs refused to rule out redundancies as it tried to plug a £3.5m black hole. They said that the situation had come about because of rising fuel costs and a lack of funding from the Government.

Overtime was also scrapped as bosses tried to claw back cash to balance the books by the end of the 2008/09 financial year.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall said that about 100 officer posts were being lost – mainly from non-operational roles – and the cull was expected to be completed thanks to a non-replacement policy in time for the new financial year.

However, 100 staff/civillian jobs also have to go – only 40 of those are currently vacant. Mr Marshall said he hoped the situation could be met by staff turnover by the end of the year.

The county’s police authority, charged with running the force’s finances, expects to hear the latest on the situation at a meeting next month.