Almost 3,000 apply for new job at Lancashire Police

Almost 3,000 people have applied to join Lancashire Police after the force revealed it was hiring.
Lancashire Chief Constable Steve FinniganLancashire Chief Constable Steve Finnigan
Lancashire Chief Constable Steve Finnigan

Competition is fierce for the 120 police officer roles advertised by the force, with 25 applications for each job on offer.

It comes as bosses warned the latest recruitment drive may be the last for many years after it emerged Lancashire is set to be the hardest hit police force outside London when the next round of budget cuts are finalised.

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Despite facing losing another £87m, on top of the £74m of savings already identified since 2010, Lancashire Police is pressing ahead and hiring new officers as planned.

The recruitment window closed on Tuesday and applicants will be contacted in the week commencing November 23 to let them know whether they have been successful or not.

Successful candidates will be in place and start their training from June 2016.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “We need to maintain our recruitment levels for this year and I wish all the applicants well with their applications.

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“Lancashire Constabulary is now and will remain one of the best forces in the country to work for.”

The force has lost more than 700 officers since the Government’s austerity measures were introduced in 2010.

The force is set to reduce in size further over the next five years in spite of the current recruitment drive.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan and Mr Grunshaw have pledged to fight the latest planned cuts to the police budget.

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They are enlisting the support of the county’s MPs to convince Government ministers to change their minds.

The Treasury will announce next month in its comprehensive spending review how much it will spend on policing nationally – and bosses are braced for cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent.

On top of that, the Home Office last week revealed plans to reduce the share of that cash that goes to Lancashire.