LONDON - Police officers are to hold a crisis meeting on Wednesday to discuss possible industrial action in protest at the government's decision to stagger a pay rise.

Police are banned from striking under laws introduced in the 1990s but the Police Federation, the union which represents 140,000 officers in England and Wales, is considering what action they can take.

The row erupted last week after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said officers would get a 2.5 percent pay increase set by the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal in stages.

But Smith decided it would be paid in December, rather than backdated to September, as expected.

Police claim this cuts the rise to 1.9 per cent, which is less than the rate of inflation, and which will save the government an estimated 30 million pounds.

Smith has admitted this is the first time a home secretary had decided to stage pay rises, but says it balances police needs with sensible government spending and will help keep down inflation and interest rates.

The Police Federation is to hold an emergency summit with officers from all 43 forces along with representatives from the Police Superintendents' Association and the Association of Chief Police Officers to discuss the issue.

"Throughout the negotiations the Home Secretary has shown utter contempt for both policing and police officers," said Clive Chamberlain, chairman of Dorset Police Federation.

"The balance is shifting and ... colleagues around the United Kingdom are openly calling for the right to strike.

"I cannot see how we can work with Ms Smith -- we do not trust her and that is no basis for a working relationship."

Political pressure is also mounting on Smith after members of the influential home affairs select committee said on Tuesday her decision was damaging morale, destroying police confidence and had sparked widespread unrest.

Police Minister Tony McNulty said some backbench Labour MPs had relayed anger and disquiet from police, but rejected suggestions the government's actions had been "shabby" or that it had acted with dishonour.

"We think this is a fair settlement. It needs to be seen in the context of what we've done with police pay over the last 10 years which is to treat them as quite an exceptional case," McNulty told BBC radio.

"There is certainly not on my part any notion of disrespect or anything but awe in terms of what the police do on a daily basis."