PROTECTING children is an 'absolute priority', Lancashire Police's head of crime has promised.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Critchley spoke after a national report found only a third of cases involving vulnerable youngsters were handled to a good standard in England and Wales.

Of the 576 cases involving vulnerable children across eight forces in England and Wales looked at by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), 177 were found to have been dealt with to a good standard, while 220 were viewed as inadequate and 179 were deemed as adequate.

Det Ch Supt Critchley said: “Protecting the public from harm and abuse, particularly the most vulnerable, is an absolute priority for Lancashire Constabulary and it is within this area that we have seen a large increase in our caseload over the last few years.

“We are proud of our approach to protecting vulnerable people and protecting our communities from the harm of organised criminality, and we have been recognised nationally around our work in tackling child sexual exploitation. We are not complacent in any way and we are continuing to seek to develop our service against a backdrop of austerity."

The HMIC reports highlighted areas for improvement both nationally and locally and called for forces to reassess their approach to child protection.

Dru Sharpling, who led the HMIC's inspection, said: "Children must come first - there can be no compromise when it comes to child protection. Getting it right most of the time can never be the explanation for failures that have devastating consequences for the child, carers and families."

In Lancashire, the number of sex offences reported between 2012 and 2015 rocketed by 20 per cent.

There has also been in increase in the number of reports of historic child abuse and a team of specialist officers investigating these allegations are currently working on more than 20 active investigations.

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Protecting vulnerable people is one of my key priorities.

"Lancashire Police has been praised in the past by HMIC for its approach to tackling child sexual exploitation.

"We also launched the The More You Know The More You See campaign which is used by other forces around the country so that people know the signs of abuse.

"These reports highlight that nationally, as well as in Lancashire, more needs to be done to make sure children are protected and perpetrators are brought to justice. I will take the recommendations on board and ensure that the chief constable puts them into action."