POLICE and an MP have pledged to work with the community to help reduce crime in a village and provide a 'bigger' police presence in a borough.

The promise, from Chief Inspector John Bullas and Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry, came at a heated public meeting at the Barlow, in Edgworth.

The meeting was called by the East Lancashire MP following a sharp increase in crime, including robberies, burglaries and vandalism in the village.

Mr Berry has called for greater police presence against a growing 'crime wave' in Blackburn with Darwen's rural areas, which has included two 'heartless' attacks on the Edgworth Post Office, on Blackburn Road, in September and November last year.

More than 200 people listened to Mr Berry and representatives from Lancashire Police, including inspector Abid Khan and sergeant Shaun Pearson as well as Roger Baines, chairman of Lancashire Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in a packed meeting at the community centre.

Many visitors were angered when Mr Berry said Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, had not been able to attend, despite being offered three separate dates in January.

One of the angriest contributions from the meeting came from Nigel Dickinson, who is the landlord at the White Horse pub in Edgworth, who said the police did not attend a break-in at his premises for 14 hours, despite staff calling 999 while intruders were still at the pub.

He said: "If you phone 999 in Edgworth it's a lottery if you get put through to Lancashire county police or Manchester and this is a problem that has gone on for a decade.

"That's how poor policing is in the area."

Mr Bullas, who is Chief Inspector for Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen, said it hurt to hear residents' anger but said cuts had made their job more challenging.

He said Lancashire Police has had to save £72 million in the last seven years, which equates to a reduction of 800 police officers and 500 police staff across the county.

Mr Bullas said:"It hurts to come here and hear about your concerns but we are determined to put it right.

"I can assure you our officers are committed to doing a good service.

"If there is any problem in Darwen the local police team will come together and deal with it."

Mr Khan, who is the police inspector for Blackburn with Darwen, said: "I have to look out for more than 140,000 people in Blackburn with Darwen and have a finite number of resources to manage that.

""We have nine PCSOs working in Darwen, which is a larger number than any area in the borough.

"The reporting of crimes is really important.

"If I see there are higher crimes rates in Edgworth I will know I need to move resources there."

Mr Berry, who called the meeting, promised villagers and visitors there will be a 'bigger' police presence in the borough in future months.

He said: "The recommendation from the police is to have more officers in the area.

"We are clearly having more officers in Darwen and it is expected they will be covering more of the rural areas with their colleagues.

"It is hoped more patrols will take place not just the main roads but side roads and residential streets. but you need to tell me and local councillors about these crimes and report them so things can change."