Sussex Police numbers are set to leap ten per cent during the next three years.

About 400 more officers could be pounding the county's pavements by 2006, according to Sussex Police Authority projections as the force abandons its "smaller, better, different" policy.

The 3,100 officer-strength expected by the end of next month would jump to 3,500 by 2006.

With the increase will come extra civilian staff to provide the necessary back-up.

It means the philosophy adopted by former chief constable Paul Whitehouse of having a highly-trained but smaller number of officers has been dropped.

The force has bowed to mounting pressure from the public for more bobbies on the beat.

Chief Constable Ken Jones is determined to have the right number of officers to resource his new neighbourhood police teams following his force operational review.

Mr Jones and authority treasurer Helen Kilpatrick outlined projections in a detailed budget report, which said: "Pressure to increase police officer numbers will build over the next three years.

"Sussex Police needs to move away from having one of the lowest police officer-to-population ratios in England and Wales to more average levels.

"Continued development of the force operational review, proving immensely popular in pilot communities, will build public confidence to the point where local tax-payers will be prepared to support expanded numbers."

The report warns the extra policing will come at a cost.

Next year's budget calls for an extra 36 per cent, or 54p a week, from the average council tax payer.

The projections call for 13 per cent and 10.5 per cent budget increases, respectively, for the following two years.

Mr Jones is confident of reaching the short-term goal of 3,100 officers by the end of March despite the current "brain drain" of experienced officers to the Metropolitan Police.

The challenge now was to deliver improved results.

He said: "The authority is very encouraged by the real changes it has seen at neighbourhood, district and divisional levels. For example, with the creation of the major crime branch and the tactical firearms unit."