LANCASHIRE has more police than ever before, Home Secretary Jack Straw has revealed.

And he has praised the force for slashing crime in the county by more than 10 per cent.

Blackburn MP Mr Straw spoke out in Home Office questions after Fylde Tory MP Michael Jack asked him what the impact on police numbers in Lancashire would be as a result of the Government's cash grant to the force for the year 2000-2001.

Mr Straw said: "The provisional funding allocation for the Lancashire police authority for 2000-2001 is £185.3million. That is an increase of 3.9 per cent, which is more than the average increase for England and Wales of 2.8 per cent.

"Within the overall budget set by the police authority, it is for the chief officer to determine staffing levels."

Former treasury minister Mr Jack said: "I am grateful for your response, as is the Lancashire force for the additional money it is to receive for next year.

"However, as a Lancashire MP, you will be aware that the additional money will barely cover the additional costs - increases in pay, prices and the police pension fund - that the force has to bear. "There is no guarantee that the crime fighting fund will provide Lancashire with guaranteed extra resources to expand the force and recruit new officers.

"In the light of that financial position, will you spell out to your home force how it is to recruit additional police officers to carry out its duties?"

Mr Straw added: "Officer numbers in Lancashire are now at an all time record level.

"Secondly, thanks to excellent work by the Chief Constable and her colleagues, crime in the area fell by 10.1 per cent compared with the national average of 1.4 per cent."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.