Labour reveals candidate for Lancs police commissioner vote

Mr Grunshaw's unveiling comes as its current Tory incumbent Andrew Snowden accused him of 'secretly' having planned to close more station front counters if he had kept the job in 2021.

Mr Grunshaw was commissioner from the job's creation in 2012 until 2021, when he lost the election for the post to Conservative Andrew Snowden.

Now the Lancashire Telegraph can reveal Labour has selected him to fight to reclaim the job in May's poll.

But Mr Snowden has claimed when he took office he 'discovered' Mr Grunshaw's draft budget had a 'secret list' of planned budget cuts, which included closing the front counters at Morecambe, Lancaster, Fleetwood, Chorley, Skelmersdale, Accrington, Burnley and Colne police stations.

He said he immediately shelved the proposals before starting to honour his election promise to re-open a police front counter in every district by restoring them in the Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble and Fylde.

Andrew Snowden (Image: Lancs Police and Crime Commissioner)

Mr Grunshaw has described the allegation as 'risible' and a 'smokescreen to mask Mr Snowden's failure' in the job.

He has promised if elected as commissioner: "I will ensure we use every penny to deliver you the service  you want and expect…more bobbies back on our streets."

As campaigning begins, Mr Snowden said: "I was appalled on my first day in the job to find out these secret plans existed and had not been revealed, debated or discussed at the elections we had just had.

"This list of savings would have closed police stations to the public across the county.

"I didn’t reveal this at the time as Clive Grunshaw was already yesterday's man, and it felt more important to just get on with fixing the problems I inherited.

"However, given Clive is surprisingly seeking a comeback it's important the public know the truth about not only the plans, but the deception of not revealing them as part of the budget or during the election when we were all setting out our policies.

"It took a lot of hard work to unpick the plans and save these station front counters whilst also re-opening some of the stations already closed and balancing the budget."

Mr Grunshaw said: “The last three years have seen the reputation of Lancashire Police decline as the Conservative commissioner has systematically shifted officers away from frontline duties to desk jobs, doing paperwork, and answering phones.

"PCC Snowden seems to forget that it was his Conservative government that imposed cuts of 26 per cent in Lancashire police’s budget - equivalent to a reduction of 800 police officers.

"I fought hard against the cuts and made tough decisions to save as many police officer jobs as possible.

"PCC Snowden’s record has been woeful: playing at police work, conducting more 'Ops' than the NHS, whilst calls go unanswered and crimes not investigated.

"This recent claim is another smokescreen to mask his failure. The so-called 'secret plans' are risible.

"My record was one of delivery.

"Despite the Tory cuts we maintained a reputation as one of the best police forces in the country and it was rated by government inspectors as outstanding.

"Lancashire Police was a byword for quality services. Not any longer."

The police and crime commissioner election takes place on Thursday, May 2.