A REVAMP of CID will see more detectives, changes to the way police deal with rape and centralised hubs to deal with sex offenders.

But recommendations to civilianise departments which monitor the county’s most dangerous convicted criminals living back in the community were thrown out.

The proposals were put forward by a ‘sustaining excellence’ review panel as Lancashire Police desperately tries to plug the remaining £4million budget gap from £42million government cuts.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan and senior management vetoed several of the recommendations to take a six-figure sum out of the department because they deemed cutting back CID was ‘too risky’ to the public.

Instead it was decided an £180,000 would be invested in the department and 30 more detective constables would be used to work on paedophile cases.

Lancashire Police Federation chairman Rachel Baines said: “The review team had suggested saving money by changing the sex offender monitoring role to a police staff position, but the Chief Constable decided it was a step too far and doesn’t want to lose any numbers in terms of resilience.

“It is a really unusual step. But we cannot afford to get it wrong with child protection and serious sexual offenders.”

There will still be a major upheaval, however: - There will be two centralised ‘hubs’ in the East and West of the county specialising in dangerous and sexual offenders. They will also deal with safeguarding such as vulnerable child and adult referrals, domestic abuse, child protection and missing from home.

- Public protection units (PPU) will now handle all rape and sexual assault cases for a more consistent service. It used to be split between PPU and CID.

- The role of coroner’s officer is to be civilianised Next up is a review of all management at Hutton headquarters, including the senior officer team which is already losing the £100,000-a-year Assistant Chief Constable Andy Cooke to the Met.

A spokesman said: “While the review made recommendations which will change the way that some Criminal Investigation Departments and Public Protection Units business is done across the county, the overriding outcome is that there will be added investment in this high risk area of work and an improved service to the public.”