THIRTEEN officers are being investigated by their bosses and the Police Complaints Authority after incidents in East Lancashire, it has been revealed.

In total six investigations are on-going across the county, with three involving people from Blackburn claiming they were assaulted while being arrested.

A further three officers have been given verbal or written warnings for different incidents, including one who failed to properly investigate a suspected unlawful killing.

But the number of complaints about Lancashire's 3,000 plus officers has fallen by 15 per cent to 139 in the quarter from January 1 to March 31, 2003, compared to 164 in the same period last year. Statistics and situations regarding complaints have been released by the Lancashire Police Authority, which is meeting to discuss them on June 5.

The following incidents have been revealed:

An allegation that a 29-year-old from Blackburn was assaulted during arrest in September 2001. One officer is under investigation.

A 40-year-old man from Blackburn claims he was assaulted during arrest in June 2001. The complainant was found not guilty of an offence relating to the arrest in January. Eight officers are being investigated.

A 40-year-old Blackburn man alleges he was unlawfully arrested and assaulted in October 2001. Four officers are under investigation.

The fall in the number of complaints about police officers in Lancashire follows a rise last year, said to be caused by officers becoming increasingly rude.

Divisional commanders ordered staff to be more civil. Complaints of incivility have since fallen by 19.4 per cent in the last quarter, while neglect of duty dropped 9.7 per cent.

Of the total complaints, 135 were finalised, with 57 informally resolved, 39 unsubstantiated and 24 the subject of a waiver. None were substantiated and 15 were withdrawn.

Three officers have been given a verbal or written warning, relating to the following incidents:

A woman from Barrowford said an officer failed to investigate claims her three-year-old daughter had been bitten by a dog.

A Pennine Division officer was found guilty at court of driving without due care and attention, failing to stop and failing to report a road traffic accident.

A Pennine Division officer failed to act upon information that a person might have been killed unlawfully and the lack of action delayed the investigation and compromised the preservation of evidence.