LANCASHIRE Constabulary is set to play a key role in a nationwide initiative aimed at improving performance and efficiency in the police service.

The county's Chief Constable Pauline Clare is chairperson of a special sub committee, initiated by the Association of Chief Police Officers, aimed at encouraging forces to share information.

More than 200 delegates, including managers from those forces, were expected to attend today's seminar at Charnock Richard to discuss plans on knowledge-sharing in subjects ranging from crime reporting to managing budgets.

Mrs Clare said: "The police service faces a range of diverse and sometimes conflicting demands on its resources and in a tight financial framework.

"In future we will be required to analyse our performance and efficiency so it makes sense to develop ways of comparing information and sharing knowledge.

"In this way we can all learn from each other's experiences and emulate good practice elsewhere to improve the services we provide to our communities."

Chief Inspector Peter Chard, organiser of the seminar - The Changing Pace of Policing - said: "Even before the seminar we have identified the software to help us achieve our goals.

"When we meet we will be able to share knowledge and decide how best we can use the equipment to improve our service to the public."

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