Pay more tax or lose hundreds of cops warns crime commissioner seeking £1m referendum

That was the stark message from Surrey's police and crime commissioner, who is seeking support for a £1m public consultation on the issue, at a public meeting in Ewell on Tuesday night.

A victim of antisocial behaviour broke down in tears and an angry man, who felt let down by the police, heckled Surrey's commissioner, Kevin Hurley, at the heated meeting at the Longmead Centre.

Mr Hurley, who prides himself on being straight talking, painted a bleak picture of a "skint" police force that has already sold off nearly all its stations and now needs to cut 300 cops.

"We are really sliced to the bone. It’s getting worse. We don’t want to have ladies like this suffering as she is and this gentlemen who feels dissatisfied," Mr Hurley said.

"I want more money for our county for it to be safer for my family, your family and our children’s families."

Mr Hurley asked the audience of about 25 people, including six councillors, if they were willing to increase the police’s share of council tax - the hike would cost the average, Band D, household 99p a week.

He is considering spending £1m on a referendum over a proposed 24 per cent increase in the police’s share of council tax.

If people vote for the increase, the "prize" for police will be £25m a year extra going forward.

He said: "If we don’t pay more we are going to have less officers on the beat, we are not going to deal with child exploitation in the way we ought to, we are going to foul up more investigations and officers are not going to be as well trained."

Mr Hurley said Surrey has the "worst deal" in the country in terms of Government funding and he has been lobbying politicians hard to increase their slice.

He said: "I can sit there and demure and say I don’t want to cause a fuss or I can do what I do which is I’m going to bloody well get out there and fight for more money.

"I’m going to use every tactic, every technique, I can. Every means of influence in Government to give us a fair shake. I’m playing with the big boys’ game now."

He added: "What I have done is my very best. I will be honest with you. You can see my approach. I’m a Marmite person. Some people like me, some people loathe me.

"I’m guessing in this room, by the folded arms, there’s a few loathers in here, but hey I’m used to that."

During question time at the end, Councillor Nigel Pavey said: "I’m concerned about the number of people living today and including in Epsom and Ewell who just can’t afford a 99p a week. The need for so many people is growing." In response, Mr Hurley said: "I think you're absolutely right which is why I’m telling you how it is. I can’t change the world.

"I can only say do you want to maintain and indeed improve our capability with dealing with child exploitation, responding to people defrauding you, train your officers better?" "Or are you happy to see the standards drop-off?"

John Geleit, chairman of Epsom and Ewell Labour Party, warned that Mr Hurley he would probably be "lampooned" in the press if he goes ahead with a referendum. But he admitted: "You get what you pay for."

At the end of the meeting members of the public were handed voting cards that read: "Would you support the suggested increase in your council tax in return for an improved police service?"

There were 10 votes in favour of the increase and eight votes against it.

A spokesman for Mr Hurley’s office said they are also doing work with YouGov to understand how people feel about the idea of a referendum.

He said: “We are surveying 1,000 people for the next couple of months to get a sense of what they’re hearing about it.” 

Council chief executive Frances Rutter, Councillor Clive Smitheram, Sergeant Michael Hodder

Which way would you vote? Please leave a comment below or email alice.foster@london.newsquest.co.uk