POLICE officers fighting for better pay have been backed by York councillors.

They accused the Government of suppressing pay rises through "a sleight of hand", creating "unnecessary conflict with the officers who patrol our streets".

City of York Council unanimously voted in favour of a motion by Coun Keith Orrell, calling on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to agree to the Independent Police Arbitration Tribunals' recommended rise of 2.5 per cent.

The council highlighted the falling crime levels in York, and said endorsing the proposed rise would "maintain police morale".

Tabling the motion, Liberal Democrat councillor Keith Orrell said Ms Smith's attempts to cap the rise to 1.9 per cent would "put at risk" the gains made in tackling crime. He said: "Does it matter that police officers are losing a few hundred pounds in pay this year?

"For some officers it will be important financially, but probably for most officers it is the destruction of their trust in the impartiality of Government that is fundamental."

A Labour amendment to the motion was defeated, but the party then backed the motion in its original form. Labour leader David Scott said: "We can be a critical friend to this Government. We are prepared to say the Government got it wrong on this occasion and police deserved the 2.5 per cent pay rise."

Lib Dem Christian Vassie called the situation a fiasco.

Coun Orrell said: "This is a very serious issue for York residents. The partnerships developed in recent years between the police and local communities have delivered significant reductions in crime and as a result fewer victims of crime.

"These partnerships have involved not only Safer York Partnership but many people across communities - parish councillors, community groups, youth workers, libraries, and ward councillors - but all underpinned by police officers."

Labour's Ruth Potter said the Government had put more police officers on the streets; hailed falling crime rates; and called the pay dispute "unfortunate".

On Wednesday, more than 22,000 off-duty officers marched in London to protest over the deal, in what was the largest ever police gathering in Britain.