DOZENS of officers will be returned to patrol the streets of Lancashire after prison escort duties are handed over to private security firm Group 4.

The firm is due to take control of transporting prisoners to and from courts, jails and police stations in the county at the beginning of next year after being awarded a seven-year prison service contract.

Police and prison officers will still be responsible for carrying category A prisoners, the most serious offenders.

But Lancashire police bosses are hoping that the transfer of the remaining transport work will release a "substantial number" of officers for other duties. Negotiations are due to take place with the Home Office to try to ensure the force will not have any money cut from its budget after escort duties are taken over by Group 4.

But Assistant Chief Constable John Vine said: "The privatisation of these services will release a substantial number of officers for other duties.

"We will be looking closely at maximising this figure to ensure that as many officers as possible will be back on the streets, in line with the Chief Constable's aim of devoting more manpower to front line, highly visible, policing."

Group 4, which already operates prisoner escort services elsewhere in the country, is hoping to create 300 jobs when it takes over the contract for Lancashire and the north of England.

It claims escapes have fallen dramatically in areas where it has taken over from the police and prison service.

Mr Vine added: "The constabulary will work very closely with Group 4 to ensure that all aspects of safety and security for prison escorts are maintained."

Paul Marsh, chairman of the Lancashire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: "We will go along with these changes as long as officers taken off escort duties are put back into core policing."

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