THE number of bobbies on the beat in East Lancashire will not be reduced in 2000, despite £1m cuts to police budgets.

Lancashire Chief Constable Pauline Clare, has guaranteed there will be no cuts in frontline policing services for the 2000/2001 financial year.

But some departments at the force's Hutton headquarters, which provide back room support such as administration, financial services, personnel support, public relations and computer services will have to absorb cuts of more than £1m.

Members of the Police Authority's finance and general purposes committee have also agreed to recommend an increase in the force's share of the council tax of £5 per household.

David Brindle, the director of police corporate services said: "Again, we have been able to find ways to absorb most of our extra costs and not hit frontline services, which are currently achieving substantial cuts in crime, anti-social behaviour and road casualties."

County Coun Bob Clark, chairman of the finance and general purposes committee, said: "Protecting frontline policing is our main priority and this achieves that."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.