A PLAN to increase the number of community police stations in Lancashire has been announced.

Lancashire Constabulary is planning to extend its network of police bases across the county - from the current 40 to 70.

Police said the move allows officers to operate from the heart of the community in schools, housing associations offices and local authorities buildings.

The scheme means that neighbourhood policing teams have a base in the communities they work with, rather than having to return to main police stations to complete paperwork, for example.

A list of possible sites is currently being drawn up for consideration and police are keen to receive offers of other sites they could use.

Steve Hodkinson from Lancashire Police said: "We have so far been successful in acquiring 40 sites across the county.

"These will not be police stations in the traditional sense, but they will be somewhere community officers can be based."