SUFFOLK police chiefs have launched a blistering attack on the Government, accusing it of a costly u-turn on promises to help with the huge expense of the £19million probe into the killings of five women.

SUFFOLK police chiefs have launched a blistering attack on the Government, accusing it of a costly u-turn on promises to help with the huge expense of the £19m probe into the killings of five women.

A police authority meeting was yesterday told that Suffolk could be left with a £7m shortfall to make up - and taxpayers would have to pick up the massive bill.

It comes despite Prime Minister Tony Blair telling the House of Commons last month that he would do all he could to support the Suffolk force with the unprecedented investigation into the deaths of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

However Kate Flannery, an inspector at Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC), admitted during the meeting yesterday she had advised the Home Office to set aside £7.5m to £8m for the Suffolk force in 2006/07 and just £6m in 2007/08.

Factoring in the £2.2m cost of the inquiry into the death of 24-year-old Jimoh Plunkett, who was shot dead at Zest nightclub in Ipswich last month, Suffolk would be left with a bill of more than £7m.

Chief Constable Alastair McWhirter told Mrs Flannery: “I am concerned there is going to be a gap in this financial year which will mean hard choices for next year.”