A FORMER policeman turned author has dedicated his new controversial book to a murdered Rossendale woman.

Lance Manley’s Stab Proof Scarecrows criticises the British justice system and has outsold former Metropolitan Police commissioner Ian Blair’s biography.

In the book, Lance explains how the 2008 attack on Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, which resulted in Sophie’s death, factored in his resignation.

A chapter, entitled Sophie Lancaster, reads: “No one could protect Sophie Lancaster that night.

“Not because of what happened but because society has shown too much compassion for the criminal for far too long.

“The modern English police puts an emphasis on tying to empathise with why people rob, fight and bully and wants its officers to get inside the heads of criminals and wayward youths to find out what drives them.”

Sophie, 20, was set upon by a gang of youths as she cradled her boyfriend Robert, who had been attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup.

The pair, both former Haslingden High School pupils, were targeted because they were dressed as Goths.

Lance added: “I am in regular contact with her mother Sylvia Lancaster and on March 24 I will be auctioning a signed copy of the book on eBay with 100 per cent of the profit going to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.”

Lance spent 20 months as a volunteer Special Constable in the City of London force, patrolling the Square Mile.

He was on duty on 7 and 21 July 2005 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks and then worked for 19 months as a paid regular officer.

Stab Proof Scarecrows was sixth bestseller on Amazon.co.uk in the genre of police biographies last week.