VOLUNTEERS who check conditions in police cells throughout the county have been told to re-apply to be on a new panel.

Marion Smith, who is also chairman of the Burnley police authority community meeting, said: "Everyone of the custody visitors has to re-apply for the job, which they do as volunteers, because of a change-over in the system.

"Applications have gone in and the Burnley area interviews will take place on March 23.

"Why should people who have already been doing it for years have to re-apply for a job they are already doing very well?"

Marion, a former Burnley councillor, added: "It is a voluntary thing that we do. We have eight custody visitors at Burnley and it is supposed to be going up to 12.

"I have had to re-apply and I am the local co-ordinator. There has been a lot of controversy about it. I think it is a slap in the face after all the hard work you have done over the years. I have been doing it for about six years."

Police Authority spokesman Ian Dickinson agreed there had been some expressions of concern about existing visitors having to reapply but said the authority had no choice.

The request to existing visitors to re-apply along with new applications was not an insult to any of them.

Their past service would be taken into account at the interviews which had come about because of a Home Office requirement to set up a statutory scheme.

Mr Dickinson added: "We will do everything fairly. We will make sure it is fair."

In Lancashire they had decided to draw a line under the existing scheme where the volunteers were chosen at police community meetings and to advertise for volunteers who would represent a cross section of the public.

They had received 330 expressions of interest of whom 130 had sent in application forms. Following an information day at police headquarters at Hutton they now had 98 people applying for the 56 posts.

Interviews would take place at Burnley on March 23 and at Blackburn on March 25 and 28. It was hoped to start the new panel by May 1.

Their reports would continue to be open to the public going back to the community forums and to the police authority but in a new summary form.

The visitors check the condition and cleanliness of the cells and report any complaints from the people in custody.