Residents and businesses in an area of East Lancashire are set to benefit from four new police officers and a 24/7 police station.

The front counter at Clitheroe police station was closed in March 2018 - and reopened on a limited basis from September 2021.

Now it has been announced that from April 1 four community beat managers - police officers responsible for proactive local policing - will join the Ribble Valley team.

This will mean that every area of Lancashire will now have dedicated neighbourhood policing teams.

The extra resources, funded through the Police and Crime Commissioner's council tax precept, will deliver on Andrew Snowden's priority for more visible frontline policing.

Following this initial investment into creating the neighbourhood team, Clitheroe police station will also become a 24/7 response policing base in a few months time, further increasing the police resources in the area.

The change will mark the end of the current “hybrid policing model” where officers perform both neighbourhood and response roles, which can at times reduce the capacity for local visible neighbourhood work.

These additional four officers will work alongside eight PCSOs, as well as the existing response teams and rural taskforce.

This dedicated neighbourhood team will work solely on proactive policing - visible patrols, community engagement and tackling the crimes that matter most to local people.

The area is the final one in the county to remove the hybrid model which has already been disestablished in Rossendale, South Ribble and Fylde.

Later in the year further changes will be made to the response model of policing, ensuring that every area of Lancashire has the neighbourhood and response teams needed to provide a visible police service that takes the fight to criminals whether in a city or a rural community.

Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said: “It’s fantastic to see these changes come into action is great news for Ribble Valley residents, with dedicated neighbourhood officers and 24/7 response based in the town.

“I pledged to invest in neighbourhood policing as part of my Fighting Crime Plan and I am really happy to be able to deliver against the priorities I set out in it.

"We now have dedicated neighbourhood policing teams back in all areas of Lancashire which is fantastic news for the county.

“My number one priority is to lead the fight against crime in Lancashire and to tackle the issues that matter most to local residents including antisocial behaviour, dangerous driving and drug dealing.

"Strengthening neighbourhood policing and face to face access to officers is a key part of that and I am committed to working alongside the constabulary to direct resources where they are needed and to tackle crime in our communities head on.”

Commenting on the changes, East Supt Derry Crorken said: “Our aim is to provide the very best possible policing service we can across the county to keep people and communities safe.

“We know that having a visible police presence in local neighbourhoods is what makes people feel safer which is why we are delighted that we now have dedicated officers in every neighbourhood across Lancashire.

“The additional neighbourhood officers in the Ribble Valley and elsewhere, will provide extra capacity for proactive police work, including public engagement, problem solving and targeting of local offenders.

“Along with other recent investments in our force control room and the opening of public access at a number of local stations, these changes should help to reassure our communities that we are being as visible as we can and working hard to keep crime low in their local area.”

Nigel Evans MP said: “I am delighted to welcome the announcement from Andrew Snowden that Ribble Valley will be getting a dedicated named police officer for every area and that the police station at Clitheroe will return to being a 24/7 operations base for the borough”.

“For too long Ribble Valley has not had the level of police resources I want to see.

"But I’d like to thank Andrew for delivering on the pledges he made to the Ribble Valley and I look forward to working with him and the new officers in making our beautiful area safer”.