A MAJOR event aimed at attracting young recruits from ethnic minorities is to be launched later this month after police admitted they were falling short of targets.

Lancashire Constabulary currently has 60 black and Asian officers and that number will have to be more than doubled to 123 over the next decade to meet targets.

The first ever "Connecting Communities - Making a Difference" event will be at the Guild Hall, Preston, on Wednesday, 17 April, at 7pm.

Connecting Communities is a Home Office-funded initiative to encourage the constabulary to forge links with ethnic minority communities.

The keynote speaker will be the current Deputy and next Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary, Paul Stephenson. He said: "I believe this project will really make a difference in community and police relationships.

"It is the first event of its kind to be held in the country and we very much hope it will set a trend and serve as an example for other forces to follow. We want to open up the service so that everyone has the chance to join and take their first steps in a very rewarding career."

Project Manager Faruq Mangera, of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, added: "This is just a starting point, but we are convinced this will lead to fruitful relationships with the constabulary that will last for many years and forge important links.

"The Government is committed to creating a successful multi-cultural society and the Home Secretary has reinforced this commitment in the public sector by setting targets for the recruitment of minority ethnic staff in the police service."

Blackburn MP Jack Straw set tough quotas for the county's force, when he was home secretary three years ago.

The move followed the Stephen Lawrence killing and the findings of the Macpherson Report.

The shortfall is further compounded by the fact that two ethnic minority officers have recently left the constabulary, including the force's Ethnic Minority Recruitment Officer, PC Mebs Ahmed.

Mr Ahmed has left the force to take up a post as Diversity Manager for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Despite the setback, the constabulary says it is succeeding in its bid to increase the number of recruits from the ethnic minorities.

A recruitment campaign in September and October last year saw the percentage of ethnic candidates applying to join the force rise from 6.7 per cent to 9.4 per cent out of a total of 607 applicants.

The Guild Hall event is expected to be attended by more than 200 invited guests, including young people from around the county and community groups.