A FIVE-point plan to protect Droitwich Spa's police from a budget crisis has been put forward by mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff.

The Tory MP has written to the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, and to the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, to urge a fairer deal for the police force in Worcestershire.

Mr Luff was given a brief on the funding problems at West Mercia's headquarters at Hindlip Hall last week.

He wrote in his letter to the ministers: "Recent growth in police numbers in the West Mercia force have been paid for entirely out of large increases in council tax.

"Perhaps it's time you started paying for them -- and relieving my hard pressed constituents of the threat of further large council tax rises."

One of the crucial points of Mr Luff's plan includes giving Worcestershire the area cost adjustment he says the county deserves.

"The local police force in Worcestershire is now suffering in the same way as our schools -- no area cost adjustment and annual percentage increases that leads to the funding gap between us and our neighbours growing each year."

At present West Mercia receives a grant for the police force of £92.24 per person in Worcestershire.

Mr Luff he says if the county got the same as Warwickshire -- £97.07 per person -- it would mean an extra £5 million per year.

His five point plan also covers the pension burden on the police force, not altering the method to work out the current grant, maintaining the rural sparsity grant and giving a higher basic grant.