POLICE in Lancashire have welcomed a Home Office announcement that an extra 100 officers will be recruited over the next two years.

The increase has been made possible by a cash injection to the Government Crime Fighting Fund.

It means that next year the force will recruit a total of 77 officers, instead of just 51 as planned, and the following year a further 74 will be recruited.

That's on top of the 75 new recruits due to start their training this year.

David Brindle, director of corporate services for Lancashire Constabulary, said: "It is very good news for the county to be able to increase police officer numbers by a total of 226 over the next three years.

"We will be using these increases to focus more attention on crime hot spots around the county and these will change over time.

"We want to see the whole of Lancashire benefit from reductions in crime, disorder and road casualties."

But what it will mean for Chorley remains to be seen.

Insp Peter White from Chorley police said it is still early days as the allocation of extra officers has yet to be decided.

He said: "We can't say yet which areas in the county will benefit from the extra officers as this depends on a number of factors."

The size of individual areas and the density of the population could make a difference, as could the levels of crime in each area.

Insp White said: "For example we have achieved a 20 per cent reduction in crime in the last year so it may be that those areas with higher levels of crime will benefit more."

"It's great news for the county on the whole though, as more resources can only be a good thing for Lancashire Constabulary."