LANCASTER'S 'top cop' has won a coveted Home Office award for the second year running.

Chief Supt Stuart Kirby's crime fighting achievements have scooped the nationally recognised Tilley Awards and Home Office Minister John Denham has congratulated him for "leading the way in responding to complex crime issues."

There was a record number of entries from officers all over England and Wales, each of whom had to submit a 4,000 description and analysis of a specialist project.

Chief Supt Kirby looked at how to improve problem orientated policing (POP) and used figures which show that a partnership approach to crime saved time and money and resulted in an 80 per cent success for long term crime reduction initiatives.

Mr Kirby said: "Most other forces have joined Lancashire Constabulary's lead in adopting the POP approach to policing. There can be no doubting that communities do rely on the police to reduce crime, but this is not something they can deliver on their own. The police need support and my research quite clearly showed that to succeed we need partners.

"Here in Lancashire those partners have helped us to record an 80 per cent success rate for our long-term crime reduction solutions. Establishing partnerships is not easy, but once they have been developed they become so worthwhile."

Mr Kirby has received an engraved cut-glass bowl to acknowledge his success.

As part of his prize he will also be sponsored to present his report to an International Problem Oriented Policing Conference in San Diego, USA, in December.