AN MP is to meet police chiefs over their "unacceptable" handling of burglary victims.

In a speech to the House of Commons Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "Hyndburn constituents were angry at the poor service they received from the police after being burgled."

Mr Pope, who has been banned from speaking at Westminster since becoming a government Whip in 1997, told his fellow MP's of people's discontent over public services.

Mr Pope told ministers: "One thing that surprised me when I was out campaigning in my constituency and in others last month was the sheer anger at the way in which some people are treated by those working in our public services.

"As someone who has always been a strong supporter of the police, I was particularly surprised at the anger among victims of crime over the way in which they are treated by the police force in Lancashire.

"Many constituents told me that, having been burgled, they had rung the police but the police did not seem to care and took a long time to visit them - sometimes not even on the same day. That is unacceptable. Of course we all want extra police officers.

"Police numbers in Lancashire have been falling but now they are going up again.

"That is good, but the matter is not just one of police numbers and money. We need to reform the culture of the service, consider greater civilisation of the police and ask whether we have struck the right balance between the number of traffic police and those tackling burglaries, because I am not sure that we have in Lancashire." Mr Pope is to meet Hyndburn police chief -- Inspectors Dale Allen and Steve Lee -- to discuss his constituents complaint.

He said: "Many people seem to think there are too few police tackling crime and too many pursuing motorists. They want to see this reversed."

Lancashire Police refused to comment.