A DEMAND for more police for Padiham is to go to Home Secretary Jack Straw, Lancashire Chief Constable Pauline Clare and the Lancashire Police Committee following a heated protest meeting at Padiham Town Hall last night.

Pennine Division police boss Chief Superintendent Mike Griffin faced 100 residents angry at what they claim is a lack of policing in the town leading to violence and vandalism.

For more than two hours Mr Griffin and Burnley Council leader Stuart Caddy were bombarded with questions ranging from the night-time closure of the town's police station to Padiham having only one street cleaner.

The meeting followed a protest march in the town last Saturday.

Another public meeting will be held at the Town Hall at 10 am tomorrow.

Independent councillor Granville Lord who chaired the meeting said: "Obviously feelings are running very high. I don't think this meeting will have cooled it but it will have gone some way towards it.

"We will be asking for more police officers for Padiham. We have quality police, we don't have the quantity.''

Chief Supt Griffin told the residents they had legitimate concerns but that there was no chance of more officers being provided in Padiham. Asked why decoration work was being carried out at the police station when it was shut he stressed that it was not closed. It was shut between 7pm and 8am to release officers out on to the streets where they were needed. Officers sitting on their "bums'' in the police station at night dealt with an average of 0.9 visits by the public and that was usually someone asking directions, he added.

Work at the station was to provide better facilities for the officers who worked there.

Crime in Padiham was down with burglaries in houses and other premises having been reduced by about 26 per cent.

Padiham was not a hell-hole full of violent criminals and thugs although it had its fair share.

"Together we have to identify them and take them out,'' he said.

The way forward was by co-operation between the police, council, other agencies and the public.

He called on representatives of local organisations to join a community safety group.

There were repeated shouts of "rubbish'' and claims that Padiham was the forgotten part of Burnley Borough.

The mood changed when Coun Caddy announced that work had begun this week on a bid for a CCTV system for Padiham town centre and other selected areas.

Without consulting his colleagues he had asked council officers to begin work on the bid.

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