LANCASHIRE'S Chief Constable and Preston's MP have clashed over the force's funding for next year.

Labour MP Mark Hendrick said the police had received an inflation-busting increase, but Chief Constable Pauline Clare described the settlement as 'disappointing' and said for the second year running it would not even cover pay and price increases.

She said the force faced a year of financial constraint as a result and would have to look at money saving measures immediately.

Lancashire Constabulary has a provisional increase of 3.1 per cent (just less than six million pounds).

Mr Hendrick said this would be topped up to 6.5 per cent to pay for new crime initiatives, but a spokesman for the constabulary said they were not aware of that extra increase and just expected the 3.1 per cent.

Mr Hendrick said: "The cash for the police, including the money for special initiatives, will come to almost three times the rate of inflation.

"I want to see this money used to good effect by the police, to improve the lives of people of Preston and Lancashire generally, because despite recent improvements in the crime figures, there is still too much crime on our streets."

Chief Constable Clare said: "It leaves us facing a year of financial constraints if we simply wish to fund the pay increases which have already been agreed and the spiralling cost of pensions.

"There will be little else left. Once again we will have to meet our new investments through efficiency savings.

"We are already looking at areas where some savings can be met, but we have to be very careful that these do not impact on our operational effectiveness and, in particular, on the services we provide to the communities in Lancashire."

The funding announcements for Preston Borough Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council had not been revealed at the time of going to press.