Go to jail...as a visitor!

Those chosen will play a vital role in checking the welfare of people in police custody.

An ideal candidate will be somebody who lives in the county but who has no direct involvement in the criminal justice system. They should be aged from 18-80 and of good character with no convictions.

Ian Dickinson at the Lancashire Police Authority said: "Candidates must have commitment, sound judgement and be able to be discreet and impartial.

"But, most importantly for us, candidates must demonstrate respect for people from different social and ethnic backgrounds."

People such as solicitors and probation officers may be excluded to prevent any possible conflict of interests and this helps maintain the independence of the scheme and the impartiality of the visitors involved.

Police Authority magistrate member Gail Stanley said: "Our independent custody visitors provide a vital source of information on the environmental and welfare conditions in which detainees are held.

"They are an extremely important link between the authority and the police because they hold the Constabulary to demonstrate a commitment to transparency and openness.

"Such local independent reports can help the authority and police improve the public's understanding of procedures at police stations and hopefully improve their confidence in the system."

The scheme, which is being operated nationally, used to select its custody visitors from Police and Community Forum meetings.

Ian Dickinson said: "This was found to be unsatisfactory as people who attend those meetings are not necessarily representative of the community so we decided to advertise."

Successful applicants will be given full training and will initially complete a probationary period. They will then make random visits to local police stations in pairs.

To apply contact Ian Dickinson at the Lancashire Police Authority on (01772) 263462 for an information pack and application form.