FAILED police applicants are being asked to re-apply in a bid to a boost the number of officers from ethnic minorities.

And Lancashire Constabulary's ethnic minorities team will be asked to promote the force to those who express an interest in joining.

A week before final tests, applicants from ethnic minorities will be given a three-hour workshop to help them through the assessment.

It is illegal for businesses to select anyone solely on the basis of their race or gender in a bid to boost numbers of from under-represented groups.

But police bosses stressed all cand-idates would be assessed on the same criteria.

They said their new policy was "positive action" to encourage more candidates from ethnic minorities.

Lancashire Police Federation chairman Steve Edwards, thought the scheme a good move, but suggested that investigation in a bid to discover why people from ethnic minorities did not want to join the police.

He added: "There would be an issue if someone was getting selected because of their ethnic background, although positive action is thought provoking and discussion raising.

"We need to try and reach out and encourage more applications from ethnic minority comm-unities. However I think the real question is why they don't apply.

The force has around 90 officers from ethnic minorities, missing its target of 101 by the end of last month.