AN MP has urged Lancashire's new Chief Constable Paul Stephenson to put more bobbies on the beat in rural areas and recruit more special constables.

After a weekend meeting with the county's new top cop, the Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said: "The meeting with Mr Stephenson was very constructive and I thank him for his time.

"We discussed a range of important policing issues affecting the Ribble Valley and East Lancashire.

"Our rural way of life needs a visible presence from police officers and I urged the Chief Constable to ensure that throughout the Ribble Valley and East Lancashire there is more high profile policing.

"I also encouraged him to recruit more Specials into the Lancashire Constabulary as this would mean more people volunteering to look after their communities and support the pressurised police service.

"I pressed him to make available in my constituency some of the new Community Support Officers as they can be particularly important to the areas which rarely see police officers, such as some parts of the Ribble Valley."