THE number of special constables in Lancashire has fallen by more than 30 since Blackburn MP Jack Straw became Home Secretary, the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

In March 1997, before Labour's landslide election victory, the county force had 483 special constables but by March this year it had fallen by 34 to 449.

Nationally there has been a reduction of 3,250 specials - 16 per cent - over the same period.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alan Beith revealed the figures just days after highlighting a fall of 1,043 in the number of regular police officers in England and Wales since the election.

In Lancashire the fall in mainstream police over the two years was just four.

Mr Beith said: "Labour were elected on a promise to increase the police presence in our communities, yet in two years they have overseen a combined fall in police officers and special constables.

"Labour should call a halt to the declining police presence. Chief constables would soon get the message if the government made it clear that they did not want to see further reductions in the number of officers.

Mr Straw said that the numbers of police staff were a matter for chief constables and that the previous government took away the Home Secretary's power to set the establishment of individual forces, but he regretted the fall in numbers.

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