Essex Police want to know if victims of crime would prefer to report an incident via Twitter or to a bobby on the beat.

They are carrying out a survey as part of a cost-cutting programme to save £41million over four years.

The first question asks how you would prefer to report a crime and gives the respondent three picks out of 13 options.

It goes on to ask if you would expect the police to investigate if your mobile phone had been stolen or car had been damaged, or if you would expect to receive reassurance or crime prevention advice instead.

Roy Scanes, secretary of Essex Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, urged people to say they want police to investigate every crime.

He said: “It will be a sad day if Essex Police don’t investigate every crime and I hope everyone responds that way in the survey.”

Mr Scanes said the questions highlight the fact the force will have to cut back on community policing.

He said: “This is being forced upon us following the Government cuts.

“The force is going to have to run things differently if people want the same response from the police service.

“If 400 frontline jobs are going, there will be certain things we can’t do any more, and this survey highlights that.”

Other questions in the survey ask how important your local police station is and whether you have visited it in the last 12 months.

It also asks how often and how you would like to be updated if you were a victim of burglary.

Essex Police are holding a number of Have Your Say consultation events.

They are at Basildon Library, in St Martin’s Square, on Tuesday, June 14, from 10am to 2pm, at Pitsea Market, Northlands Pavement, on Wednesday, June 15, from 9am to 3pm, at Sainsbury’s, Rayleigh Weir, on Tuesday, July 5, from 11am to 4pm and at Asda in Elizabeth Square, South Woodham Ferrers, on Thursday, July 7, from 11am to 4pm * Essex Police will be one of the first forces to switch to the national police non-emergency telephone number of 101 from July.