Merseyside’s police force is “on the brink” after shocking figures showed declining officer numbers have meant more accidents on our roads.

It was revealed in the Wirral Road Safety Plan that there has been a 20% drop in the number of police staff, and 26% in specialist roads officers across Merseyside since 2007.

That is despite, the Wirral council-led plan said, a need for more enforcement of “not just speeding but of other priority issues”.

Merseyside’s steep drop, the report added, is the 7th biggest overall reduction in police staff since 2007, and the report said that had an effect on the numbers of casualties.

Cllr Paul Stuart, Wirral council’s cabinet member for law and order, said: “The Tories have pushed Merseyside Police to the brink. The force is struggling to come to terms with the loss of more than 1,000 officers since 2010 and its budget has been reduced by more than £100m. Chief Constable, Andy Cooke has repeatedly warned of the risk damaging cuts can have on protecting local communities.

“The former Home Secretary visited Wirral not so long ago but failed to meet with the council or the force. Instead of imposing cuts, the Government should back Wirral Council’s Road Safety Plan and give the police the resources it needs to keep our roads and residents safe.”

Chief Inspector Tony Jones, head of Merseyside Police’s roads policing department, said: “Merseyside Police, like many forces, has faced an unprecedented pace of change in the past decade. In 2010 we had a budget of £365m and employed 7,276 officers and support staff.

“We have seen an £82m reduction in budget from 2011/12 to 2017/18 and have approximately 1,726 fewer officers, PCSTOs and staff.

“The Roads Policing Department has reduced its number of officers by 26% since 2007. Many of those posts came from downsizing the back office function and the reorganisation of the department, to ensure we maintained a highly visible front-line presence.”

He said the force “continually reviews all its functions to ensure it is efficient and effective”, and looks for new ways to provide the best possible service with less officers and less money.

He added: “We have faced challenges and had to change the way we work to maintain our visibility on the roads, which the public has told us they want to see, with less staff.

“I am confident that this has not affected the level of service the people of Merseyside receive and figures currently show we have experienced a decrease in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Merseyside’s roads in recent years.

“While one person getting injured on our roads is one too many, in 2017 there were 10% less people killed or seriously injured on our roads compared with the previous year. The Force remains committed to providing an excellent service to all who live, work and visit the area.”

It comes after the Government in 2010 set Wirral a 10 year-target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents.

That figure in 2016 was 599, with the target by 2020 for it to be fewer than 400.

The Wirral Road Safety Plan had a focus on the local authority working with residents and its partners to encourage people to “consider their environment when travelling, adjust the choices they make and be safer on our roads”.

It also announced the council will invest over £3.8m in additional funding for highway improvements, and another £563,000 to fix the borough’s potholes.