Police chiefs have been in talks with the leader of Hertsmere Council this week to discuss the lack of extra officers allocated to the area.

Council leader Stuart Nagler was furious after Hertsmere was given only one of the 45 officers promised for the county, and set up a series of meetings with Chief Constable Paul Acres, Superintendent Charles Kraina, and the borough's representative on the Police Authority, David Beatty.

At the council's meeting last Wednesday, councillors demanded action over the constabulary's decision and called for an explanation.

'As far as I'm concerned, the constabulary has short changed Hertsmere,' said the Conservative Councillor Rodney Saunders.

'We were all led to believe we were going to be staffed the same as the the rest of the county, and now we expect to have our fair share of further officers,' said Lynne Hodgson, leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Nagler said his argument was with the Government, which was not doing enough to close the pay difference between officers working for the Metropolitan Police and the Hertfordshire force.

'We're still consulting on whether to vote for extra officers, but unless the Government provides more resources to recruit them, we may not be able to get any more.

After his meeting with Superintendant Kraina, he said: 'We had a good meeting. It was an exchange of views. He's the man on the ground, and he has to work with what the Government gives to him.'

David Beatty said: 'Hertsmere can argue for as long as it likes, but the decision to change responsibility from the Metropolitan Police to Hertfordshire Constabulary was taken by the Home Secretary.

There was little time and no consultation about how and when it should be done.

He said the decision to allocate only one officer to Hertsmere was taken before he was asked to represent the borough, and that although he did not come from the area he was committed to fighting for the borough.

On Monday, James Clappison, the Conservative MP for Hertsmere, questioned Home Office minister Paul Boateng in the House of Commons.

He pointed to the county's rising crime figures and asked: 'Will the minister bear in mind the need for more police in Hertfordshire, especially in view of the growth of offences of violence?

Hertfordshire is rapidly becoming a much less safe place in which to live.'