POLICE fear for their jobs after force bosses announced the recruitment of 448 extra community support officers.

Steve Edwards, chairman of the Lancashire Police Federation, made the claim after the massive recruitment drive was announced earlier this week.

He said that in 2008 when government funding for the first two years of the scheme runs out, police bosses will not have enough cash to pay for them.

Mr Edwards claimed the force would then have to decide whether to cut the number of police constables, paid around £23,000 a year, or CSOs who can earn up to £18,000.

Police chiefs denied the claims, and insisted they would be able to continue to pay for the CSOs due to contributions from local councils.

Lancashire currently has 165 CSOs following their introduction in 2002, and 3,500 full-time officers.

CSOs have limited powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, teach children about road safety, support vulnerable residents, and work with local groups.

Under the plans, 114 will be appointed in the financial year 2006/7, and the remaining 334 in 2007/8.

The government will fund the posts for two years, then the cost will have to come from the Lancashire police budget.

Mr Edwards said: "Our understanding is that the funding for the recruitment runs out on March 31 2008. By that time we will have 600 CSOs in Lancashire.

"I have seen the papers and local authorities will pay the costs of some, but not all. I think they will be left with the choice of reducing police officer numbers, or CSOs."

He also said he believed the police auth-ority would have chosen to recruit extra police officers if they were free to spend the government cash as they chose, rather than being forced to spend it on CSOs.

Police chiefs have previously admitted that they "gambled" on paying for CSOs with government cash, even though they were not sure how to fund them in the future.

Today Assistant Chief Constable Mike Cunningham said: "We have got a commitment for the next couple of years for funding.

"After that we will share funding costs of CSOs from the police funds and our partners."