The issue of cuts to the West Yorkshire policing budget is one that this newspaper has returned to many times in recent months and is one we are forced to look at again today.

There is no doubt that the force has to make some very difficult decisions about where the axe must fall as public spending cuts continue to eat into it's resources.

And while it is easy to simply say the police should be insulated from any cuts, that is not a realistic or practical prospect in the current financial climate.

But the latest figures, which we publish today, do seem to suggest that there has been a disproportionate reduction in road policing officers in the county.

The number has fallen from 313 in 2010 to just 120 in December, a cut of almost two thirds, and it is understandable that road safety groups have expressed serious concerns.

The argument by Brake that these cuts are a false economy seems to bear some merit, with the enforcement of road safety laws likely to play a big part in reducing the huge financial burden road accidents create across all emergency services.

What we really need to see is how much effect these cuts have had. It may be that close inspection will show that the cuts come at a time when road safety issues are also decreasing.

But if there is any suggestion that the reverse is true, then the force must look again at it's priorities when it comes to controlling the purse strings.