PETER Hain is battling with Charles Clarke to prevent the Home Office cutting a section of police budgets by 75 per cent.

The Welsh Secretary came out fighting in the Commons yesterday to publicly declare he was backing police chiefs who expressed concern over the proposed cuts.

The 75 per cent cut is from the protective services budget, which handles things like terrorism, organised crime, international fraud, drugs and human trafficking.

The move comes as a battle is raging over a proposed merger of police into an all-Wales force - something the Argus has been campaigning against.

At Welsh Questions in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Hain said of police concerns over the budget cuts: "I share their concerns and I am supporting them in getting these concerns resolved with the Home Office and I am confident we can achieve that."

Gwent's chief constable Mike Tonge said: "I am concerned about the cuts but I am in constructive dialogue with the Home Office on the matter."

Tory Shadow Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan told MPs four police chiefs sent a letter to Sir Ronald Flanagan of the Inspectorate of Constablulary expressing grave concern at the 75 per cent cut the Home Office has made in their budget for protective services.

She said: "They have written and asked if there had been a fundamental change made in national standards.

"As this is an operational issue and strikes at the heart of the reason behind these mergers how can our police forces in Wales deliver protective policing and have confidence in the Home Office?" Mr Hain, while expressing his support for the police chiefs, nevertheless backed the plan for an all-Wales force on the grounds it will provide Wales with the capability to deal with the increased threat posed by organised crime, drugs dealing and terrorism.

Mike German, Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales East, said he fears the budget cuts will be funding the Home Office promise to pay the reorganisation costs of a Welsh police merger.

He said: "It could be that they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. That is certainly a question I will be asking."

"Both the amalgamation of Welsh police forces and the central budget cuts will have a negative effect on community policing. "Police budgets are already severely stretched."