AN EXTRA 226 new recruits will boost the ranks of the Lancashire Constabulary over the next three years, it was announced today.

Police forces across the country today heard how 4,000 new police officers, announced recently as part of the Government's Spending Review, are to be allocated.

Lancashire has been given 100 new recruits from this latest round of funding, as well as 126 new officers out of 5,000 nationwide which were announced by Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw last Setember.

The county will see 75 new officers in 2000/2001, another 77 in the next year, and 74 more in 2002/2003.

Lancashire's Police Federation, which represents police officers, welcomed the news -- as long as the extra recruits will translate into more bobbies on the beat.

Steve Edwards, Federation Chairman, said: "It is very encouraging that the Government seems to have noticed the Federation's plea for more officers and we will be monitoring the situation to see that the extra officers are being used in frontline policing, where there are deficiencies in manpower. "We want more officers on the beat and, if this is where these new officers are going to be used, then it can only be a good thing for the police force and for the people of Lancashire."

David Brindle, the force's director of corporate services, said: "We were already in the process of recruiting 75 extra officers this year and were planning to recruit 51 more next year. This means we will now actually be able to recruit 77 extra officers next year and 74 the year after.

"We will be using these increases to focus more attention on crime hotspots around the county and these will change over time. We want to see the whole of Lancashire benefit from reductions in crime, disorder and road casualties."

Home Office Minister Barbara Roche, said: "Forces across England and Wales have now been given an unexpected boost to their existing and already enhanced recruitment plans and will want to work hard to ensure that they use these extra ring-fenced resources to improve their crime-fighting capabilities.

"In return, the Government and the public will want to see results -- reduction in crime, with more offenders being brought to justice.

"Crime, however, will not be solved by increasing numbers alone. Improved technology, reform of the criminal justice system and increased partnership between all agencies, together with an increase in frontline officers, is the key to successful crime reduction.