The Home Office has been accused of making “irrational and unreasonable” cuts by the chief constable of Surrey Police.

Mark Rowley said a budget cap imposed by the department means his force will lose 200 jobs, including 50 frontline officers, and pledged to seek a judicial review of the decision.

In a joint letter to police minister Vernon Coaker and local government minister John Healey, Rowley said the spending settlement was jeopardising efforts to fight crime in the constituency, which he claimed was being targeted by criminals because it was poorly resourced compared to the next-door Metropolitan Police.

"I have a responsibility to keep Surrey citizens safe. A reduction in our budget every year can only result in an erosion of the level of service that Surrey Police will be able to provide," Rowley said, pointing out that half of the region’s crime originated in London, but it received no extra support.

His criticisms were backed by Surrey Police Authority chair Peter Williams, who said: “Over the past year, we have repeatedly asked to meet the government to discuss the rationale behind capping decisions. We have been refused on every occasion.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said the government had been "very careful" to strike the right balance in its funding. “We said we would not hesitate to take capping action as necessary. We are clear that this should not impact on frontline policing.”