HOME Secretary MP Jack Straw and East Lancashire Labour colleague Gordon Prentice have clashed over proposals to use private security firms to protect the county police headquarters.

Pendle MP Mr Prentice has branded the plan "astonishing" while Blackburn's Mr Straw describes his colleague's proposal to use police probationers for the job as "bizarre."

Mr Straw said that the use of private resources and civilians for police functions had been going on for decades and what mattered was getting best value for money.

Mr Prentice raised the issue in the Commons with Mr Straw's deputy Paul Boateng.

He said: "Is it not astonishing that Lancashire police are spending £450,000 over the next three years to bring in Group Four, Securicor or some other private security firm to guard their headquarters?

"Where are the criminals who want to break into police headquarters staffed by police officers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?

"Would not it be better to use police probationers?

"Where is the contracting-out culture leading us? That is a serious point.

"Will Group Four be guarding the soldiers at Preston Barracks?"

"I wonder how many police headquarters have been broken into or vandalised over recent years. I suspect, not many.

"And if the threat is from terrorists, then Group Four or Securicor is hardly likely to determine.

"£150,000 a year could get quite a few police constables."

Mr Straw, who was sitting beside Mr Boateng in the Commons, said after the exchange: "I think it's entirely a matter for the chief constable and the police authority.

"The proposal that probationer police officers should be used to guard police headquarters seems bizarre.

"The police have used private firms and civilians for decades.

"Many of the clerks on police front desks are civilians not police officers.

"It's about getting best value for money."