AN East Lancashire police chief has called on new Home Secretary David Blunkett to put his money where his mouth is and provide extra officers.

Eastern Division police Chief Superintendent John Thompson, made his plea as he revealed towns across East Lancashire would suffer police shortages in the weeks to come following the massive operation implemented during and after the race riots.

Last week, Mr Blunkett met with police chief constables from across the country and pledged to provide funding for another 6,000 officers.

In theory, that works out at one new officer for every council ward in the country.

And Mr Thompson, who controls policing in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, said any increase couldn't come soon enough.

He said: "We do need more officers and I hope Mr Blunkett puts his money where his mouth is and provides us with the officers.

"People complain that we aren't doing everything that they want, but all the time we are being given more things to do without the extra manpower.

"For example, we are expected to visit every person placed on the sex offenders register at least once a year, but we have had no extra staff to compensate for the time taken up visiting them."

Mr Thompson also asked people to bear with the force over the coming weeks as officers take time off following the Burnley riots.

Hundreds of officers were drafted in from across the region, initially to Burnley, but then into Blackburn and Accrington as fears grew that racial violence could spread there.

Mr Thompson said: "Days off were cancelled and officers worked vast amounts of overtime, particularly when there was trouble in Burnley.

"Many of those officers came from Eastern Division and they are now in the process of taking that time owed back.

"That has to be done, but then we needed the officers in Burnley when there was all the trouble."