DEMANDS for more police officers in Burnley are to be made to the Government by Burnley Council.

The call for extra resources has come following a series of public meetings in Padiham and different areas of Burnley at which residents expressed fears at the increasing levels of violence and fewer bobbies on the beat.

A public meeting is being planned in the Accrington Road area.

Just as councillors were ending the debate at last night's Burnley Council meeting at 11.20pm, armed police officers were on their way to an address in that area following reports that shots had been fired through a house window.

Council leader Stuart Caddy, who has attended a number of the residents' meetings, asked the council to call on Lancashire Police Authority to increase the resources available for policing throughout the borough.

Coun Harry Brooks proposed an amendment adding that the Government should be urged to substantially increase funds granted annual to the police authority and the resolution was agreed unanimously.

Coun Caddy said they wanted to give the message loud and clear that more police officers were needed.

He said: "We will press this and take it as far as we can."

He said the same message, that people did not see police on the beat, came from all the public meetings.

He could not say whether that was factual or not. Police attended the meetings and came out with facts and figures about crime .

Coun Caddy added: "The people of Burnley have made it quite clear they do not feel the police are out on the beat supporting them in their hour of need."

All speakers echoed Coun Caddy's remarks that they were not being critical of police officers in Burnley, the complaint was that there were not enough of them.

Coun Gordon Birtwistle said: "I feel the police in Burnley do a great job. The only complaint is that there are not enough of them with fewer on the beat now than there was years ago."

Coun Tony Harrison said a lot of resources had been put into community safety issues in Burnley with various initiatives taking place in the fight against crime and disorder.

Coun Steven Large said either the authority had got its policing plan wrong or it was seriously under funded. "There is a constant criticism of lack of policing and that it not a criticism of local bobbies," he said.

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