At least two Chief Constables have refused to publish a Christmas message sent to all forces from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in protest against a dispute over pay.

Police chiefs in Essex and Cambridgeshire took at stand against the Redditch MP, saying passing on her message was inappropriate in light of the wrangle. And Britain’s most senior policeman Sir Ian Blair also accused the Government of attempting to "pick a fight" over pay.

West Midlands Police, however, said the statement from Ms Smith had been forwarded on to staff. Ms Smith sparked outrage when she announced that a 2.5 per cent rise agreed at arbitration would not be backdated - effectively reducing it to below two per cent.

An emergency meeting of the Police Federation, which represents 140,000 officers in England and Wales, passed a vote of no confidence in the Home Secretary, sparking calls for her resignation.

The Federation is to ballot members on the right to strike - which they are currently denied - amid growing public anger from senior officers.

But Prime Minister Gordon Brown has refused to back down, insisting the move is a crucial to keeping down inflation and ensuring the economy remains stable, paving the way for a clash.

Essex Police chief Roger Baker was one of the high-ranking officers refusing to publish the annual message of support from the Home Secretary.

"While I have been happy to publish this in previous years, I feel that this year her message is not consistent with the decision she has taken over police officers’ pay," he said. "To publish it would be inappropriate and insensitive at a time when my officers are feeling, quite rightly, aggrieved.

"I will be writing to the Home Secretary to express my views on the matter."

Julie Spence, Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire, also refused to comply. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said he was "very disappointed" by the Government's actions.

He said the police force should to offer major reforms of officers’ salary structures in return for a U-turn on the pay deal.

"I am very disappointed with the Government’s decision," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.  "I don’t understand why this particular fight has been picked. I do not think we need to be in this position.

"I disassociate myself from requests for the Home Secretary to resign - I think she is a very good Home Secretary - but I think this is a mistake and I told her that and I told her predecessor that. Not enough notice has been taken of the special nature of policing, in the sense that police officers don’t have the right to strike."

He went on: "We’ve got to get out of this place and one of the things I’ve been saying to officials is that, as we move into the new year, we’ve got to find some place for negotiation. Some of that may be that we need to get an opportunity to examine how police pay is constructed."