John Reid said there were no plans to cut pay in real terms

John Reid said he would not come and make them promises he could not fulfil in a period of tight public finances.

But Jan Berry, the head of the Police Federation, said officers may press for industrial action rights if treated like other public sector workers.

Police are banned from striking - with the last walk-out almost a century ago.

That strike in London and Merseyside led to the 1919 founding of the Police Federation as a representative body to ensure that officers would never again leave their posts.

But speaking at the federation's annual gathering in Blackpool, Ms Berry warned the home secretary that officers were enormously frustrated over pay, conditions, a targets-driven culture and the wider reform agenda.

'Never imaginable'

Ms Berry said that if the government began treating the police like any other public sector workers, then officers may start demanding exactly the same industrial rights, including the right to consider striking.

She said she opposed such a move by police because of their duty to protect the public - but said that feelings were running high.

In an earlier conference debate, 77% of constables polled in the hall said they supported rethinking the laws against taking industrial action.

Jane Berry said feelings among police officers were running high

"Home secretary, the prospect of police picket lines is something I never thought was imaginable, let alone possible," she said.

"We take our duties seriously and responsibly. We put ourselves in the line of fire. But start treating officers like public sector workers and don't be surprised if 140,000 officers start demanding the same industrial rights that others enjoy.

"Push [officers] any further and the last thing they want might just become their only option."

She repeated earlier calls for the Royal Commission on the future of policing, saying the federation may launch its own independent inquiry if the government did not.

But John Reid rejected claims that the government was treating police unfairly.

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He criticised officers who had claimed from the floor that police numbers were falling. Mr Reid acknowledged there had been a slight recent dip but stressed there were 14,000 more police than in 1997, a historic high.

"There are no plans to cut pay in real terms," Mr Reid told 1,000 delegates - prompting some booing and a heckle.

"It would be very easy for me to come here and make a gesture [over pay] that would not be fulfilled by my successor. It's going to be tighter in all of the public sector than it has been in previous years. But I have committed to genuine negotiations."

Referring to strikes, he said: "I don't think the public would understand it. The only way to solve these things is with negotiations about the table."

One officer, Andy White of West Mercia Police, asked whether officers should march on Buckingham Palace to protest as they were official Crown servants.