A ROAD safety charity has warned that cuts to traffic police officers in Lancashire are putting lives in danger.

Numbers nationwide have been cut by 12 per cent in five years, and in Lancashire by almost 14 per cent, according to campaign group Brake.

Their figures claim a fall in traffic officers from 180 in 2008 to 155 in 2012 - a reduction of 25 or 13.89 per cent.

Lancashire road policing boss Debbie Howard disputed the figures and said she had just 14 fewer front-line traffic cops than five years ago.

Brake and its survey partner webuyanycar.com claimed cuts to officers would mean forces struggling to enforce vital safety laws on drink driving, speeding and mobile phone use, and undermining a new drug driving law coming into force next year.

The charity’s deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "It is desperately worrying such large cuts continue to be made to traffic policing.

“Road police officers do a vital job enforcing important safety laws and protecting the public. Their work is proven to save lives and prevent injuries.

“These cuts also undermine important progress being made by government to tackle drug driving because, as much as we need a new drug driving law and screening devices, we also need the officers out there to enforce it."

Chief Inspector Howard said: “Lancashire Constabulary is committed to making the roads of Lancashire safer and we acknowledge that roads policing officers play a key role.

“Lancashire has reduced the number of front line road policing officers in the last five years by 13 constables and one sergeant and, like all police departments, a further review is ongoing.

“It is important to remember it is not only road policing officers who police the roads. We work closely with other police colleagues, partners and communities to continue to make the county’s roads safer.

“Over the past 12 months we have seen an 11% reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.”

Blackburn with Darwen council leader Kate Hollern, who chairs the Lancashire Police and Crime Panel, said: “I will certainly be asking questions about this.

“I have a lot of sympathy with Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw having to make cuts of around 25 per cent.

“However, I would rather see growth in front-line police officers rather than cuts. ”