LANCASHIRE'S police chief has said a tight budget should not mean fewer officers.

A meeting of the county's police authority, the body which controls the police force's funding, debated the amount of money which would go to the police from council tax payments.

Householders' payments include money which goes to the county council, local council, fire authority and police authority each year.

The police authority has agreed a total budget of £239.533million for the next financial year, which will include £52.278million from council tax payments. This equals £75.39 for a Band A property, £87.96 for Band B, £100.52 for Band C, £113.9 for Band D, £138.22 for Band E, £163.35 for Band F, £188.48 for Band G and £226.18 for Band H.

To meet financial targets it had been suggested staffing losses, including 10 officers from the county, would be one way to meet necessary cuts.

But Acting Chief Superintendent Steve Finnigan told the meeting that he was sure the job losses could be reduced to zero with good planning.

He said: "We were looking potentially at losing 10 police officers.

"At the moment it's five and I am positive that we will manage that down to zero.

"We will look at that in our planning process and I am positive that we will be able to manage that."