NO-ONE can dispute that Lancashire Constabulary is hitting its Government targets.

The force has consistently been rated as one of the best in the country by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

And each year, figures show large drops in crime.

Major crackdowns on the ‘Mr Bigs’ and initiatives such as the Tower Project which gets persistent burglars and thieves off drugs and out of crime have been praised.

But, despite the successes, there are questions today about giving the most senior officers the maximum bonus for their performance during the past year.

The chief constable, his deputy and three assistants are to get one-off cash bonuses of up to 15 per cent of their salary.

Some of these bosses are on six-figure salaries so some of their bonuses will be bigger than many people’s annual wage in East Lancashire.

And, amid a recession in which 6,000 people in East Lancashire have lost their jobs since September, this will not sit well with many people.

Critics will also point to the police council tax precept rising by an above-inflation 4.95 per cent. And the force is also making £3.6million of efficiency savings this year due to its ‘challenging financial position’.

It would, therefore, perhaps have sent a better message if the chiefs had said ‘thanks but no thanks’ to their bonuses this year and instead earned the goodwill of the people.