THE chief constable of Thames Valley Police has said he ‘cannot compete’ with rival constabularies as a recruitment crisis continues to engulf the force.

Dealing with a shortage of around 100 officers has prompted police bosses to recruit case investigators – often retired officers – to pick up the strain.

The force is struggling for a number of reasons, including the number of officers retiring and officers being poached by rival forces.

Francis Habgood said the region is simply unable to compete with the quality of life and house prices offered in other areas.

The chief constable said: “We’re losing officers to other forces around the country. We’re losing quite a few to Devon and Cornwall.

“There’s not a lot I can do to compete with quality of life type issues and housing costs. I was talking to a sergeant and a constable who live together and are moving down to Cornwall and Devon (force area).

“They’re giving up a two bedroom flat for a five-bedroom detached house in Devon. I cannot compete with that.”

A recent report appearing before the police and crime panel called the retention and recruitment problem a ‘significant issue’ facing the force, which employs 3,750 officers, already down from 4327 in September 2012 according to Home Office figures.

It expects to be around 110 officers under target in 2018/19. To tackle this, 95 case investigators, who don't have the power of arrest, will be taken on.

Rick Muir, of Oxford, is the director of the Police Foundation, an independent thinktank.

He said: “Thames Valley Police faces a major recruitment and retention challenge due to the fact that housing costs take up such a large proportion of incomes. This is made more acute by the public sector pay freeze - which has been loosened but only very slightly.

“The only long-term solutions to this are to build more homes generally and perhaps look again at the notion of key worker housing in particular. The government will also need to look again at police funding and police pay.

“There is no answer to this in my view that does not involve more money from central government.”

Last month police commissioner Anthony Stansfeld approved this year’s police budget of £405m which included a rise in the police portion of council tax by £12 a year for the average (Band D) household, after commissioners were given increased flexibility in this area.

Tom Hayes, lead member for community safety on Oxford City Council, talked about the convergence of elements that had led to the current issues, including property prices.

Figures released yesterday by Zoopla reveal that Oxford is one of the most expensive areas for single buyers in England and Wales.

Those living in the city, on average, have to put aside 32 per cent of their monthly wage for mortgage payments, leading to the city placing ninth on the list – just ahead of Windsor and Maidenhead, also in the Thames Valley.

Mr Hayes said: “It's terribly sad that experienced and dedicated police workers are leaving our local force because they can only find an affordable home elsewhere. I have total sympathy with the Chief Constable who just cannot compete with other forces on the housing affordability front, especially when his hands are being tied behind his back.

“Oxford stands out among other big cities in terms of being hardest hit by the Government's neglect for the needs of essential public servants."

Last month police commissioner Anthony Stansfeld approved this year’s police budget of £405m which included a rise in the police portion of council tax by £12 a year for the average (Band D) household, after commissioners were given increased flexibility in this area.

Mr Stansfeld recently said he would not be investing more money into attracting extra officers to the force, saying it would set a precedent for future recruitment.

He said: “We are managing our response to the current situation in relation to police officer numbers, looking at how we can improve our recruitment process and how we can make TVP a more attractive proposition without increasing the long-term cost.

“These actions include improving the overall recruitment process by speeding up the process so potential recruits do not have to wait so long to find out if they have been accepted and also gaining a better understanding of the potential market, available recruits, so we can direct our efforts in a more targeted approach."