The performance-related payments, worth up to 15 per cent of salaries, will be paid next year to officers who are rated the best in the country. They will have to beat targets including crime reduction and improving race relations in their forces. The bonuses will be awarded by local police watchdogs with advice from inspectors of constabulary.

Under the scheme Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the highest paid officer in the country, could receive up to £33,200 on top of his £221,000 salary.

Assistant commissioners and the chief constables of the largest urban forces could be in line for bonuses of £23,100 if they join the scheme. Chief constables of smaller forces earning about £118,000 would get up to £14,800. The scheme is based on performance and development reviews that have been introduced to monitor the success of senior officers. Each officer agrees a set of ten targets for the year based on local or national policing plans.

They must include crime reduction, which would centre on cutting some area of “volume crime”, including car crime, burglaries, robberies, assaults and alcohol-related offences in city centres.

The Home Office has also insisted that the chiefs must show success in diversity policies. This includes making sure their force builds up successful relationships with ethnic and sexual minorities and meeting targets for increasing the number of recruits from black and Asian groups.

They must also meet individual targets agreed with police authorities. These could include reducing vandalism, expanding neighbourhood policing schemes or making sure the 999 system is fast and efficient.

At the end of the financial year the officers are graded as A, B or C under the reviews. To be graded A they must have met all targets and exceeded many of them.

These are the officers who will be eligible for one-off payments worth between five and 15 per cent of their salaries.

The bonus scheme negotiated with the Home Office and police authorities includes officers from the rank of assistant commissioner, or commander in London, up to the commissioner.

The plan was outlined in a Home Office White Paper last year on police reform. Some current chiefs have opposed the move, arguing that as public servants they should not be influenced by such bonuses but the scheme will eventually cover all top ranks. So far 38 officers have become eligible for the payments which are being introduced gradually as new appointments are made or if officers chose to opt in.

A spokesman for the Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association said about 230 of the top officers in England and Wales will eventually be eligible. A police authority will examine how successful a force has has been against targets.

The Association of Police Authorities said the payments would only be made if the achievements were exceptional. A spokeswoman said: “The expectation is ‘exceptional’ means ‘exceptional’.” The authorities would agree on the objectives for the year with chief constables. The chief constables would then make recommendations to the authorities about their senior officers.

The authorities would look at these and the performance of the chief constable, taking advice from inspectors of constabulary.