POLICE federation chiefs today pleaded with force bosses to listen to them after a showdown meeting to discuss planned and controversial changes to officers' pay.

Chairman of the Lancashire Federation Steve Edwards met with Chief Constable Pauline Clare to put the case objecting to the change.

And police bosses are due to put together a response at a full meeting of the police authority on Wednesday.

Friday's meeting followed a constabulary announcement last month that from May wages will be paid on the last day of the month instead of the 15th.

The move is part of a bid to save £90,000 per year as part of a £3million cost-cutting package and will mean officers going six weeks without pay during the change over.

Steve Edwards said: "We put our case to them that these changes are likely to leave many officers and their families in financial dire straits and they listened carefully to the points that were made.

"Hopefully they will take on board what was said and will come back to us with a response that will benefit all our members."

The pay move means that officers will not be paid from April 15 to May 30, leaving many struggling to pay direct debits, maintenance and child support payments.

When officers are paid they will receive wages for the four weeks they have just worked, rather than the current system where they are paid for the two weeks they have just worked and the two weeks they are about to work.

The Constabulary has promised an interest free loan to help any officers in financial difficulty as a result of the action and have stressed that the change is simply an administrative one and that no pay will be lost.

But many officers have reacted with anger at the plans which they see as a cost-cutting exercise at their expense.

A Lancashire Constabulary spokesman said: "The Constabulary acknowledges that some officers may face difficulties in this period -- such as re-scheduling the payment of direct debits and other monthly outgoings -- and has therefore made arrangements to offer financial assistance in the form of interest-free loans to bridge the two further weeks between pay dates."