Cheshire's police commissioner has been quizzed on why PCSO numbers are below the agreed level of 57 and why new recruits will only be offered a 12-month fixed-term contract.

Council taxpayers agreed to pay a higher police precept this year to ensure there would be 57 PCSOs (police community support officers) across the county.

Police commissioner Dan Price (Lab) had consulted with the public on the extra payment after the chief constable announced plans last year to axe 60 of what was then 87 PCSO roles.

Mr Price did not say at Friday's (September 18) meeting of the police and crime panel, how many PCSOs are now in post – in July it was just 49.

But he said the force was now advertising for PCSOs to take the number to 57.

"Successful candidates will start in January after all the usual vetting and background checks have been carried out and, in line with other current police staff vacancies, the roles will initially be advertised on a 12-month fixed-term contract," Mr Price told the panel.

Cllr Russell Chadwick (CEC, Con) asked if the 12-month contract was ongoing, or just the first year.

"If you're going to build a career and only have a 12-month rolling contract, it's not very good for the PCSOs if they're thinking, well, in six months I may need to look for a new job," he said.

Panel chair Judy Snowball (CEC, Lab) agreed.

"Not just is it an issue of building a career, I would suggest what we've probably lost in those who have gone is a build-up of experience and skills in long-standing PCSOs," she said.

Cllr David Jefferay (CEC, Ind) asked Mr Price: "Can you clarify how many short we are? Why we're short? And I seem to recall you saying something about a refund for the additional precept."

Mr Price said: "It is initially on a 12-month contract. Of course, my hope is that that goes beyond that.

"But I think, in light of the budgetary pressures that we were looking at, that was the way in which the chief constable's proceeded.

"But I am absolutely determined to make sure we maintain those levels that we agreed."

He said the agreement to lose 30 PCSOs instead of 60 'is a consequence of me holding the constabulary very clearly to account'.

With regard to the falling numbers, Mr Price said: "The point that I made very publicly about that is that there will always be flex, that happens in all staffing and officer roles in the constabulary.

"I had scrutinised that and saw that that had gone further than flex that is accepted, and that's why I said very publicly that if they weren't recruited, that in next year's precept I will be giving residents the money back, in effect, by having a rise which reflects returning some of that funds."

He added under the previous commissioner, PCSO numbers had been cut and 'there was no campaign to increase the precept to help maintain as much community policing as possible'.