Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner joined residents of an East Lancashire town to discuss how the police can support business owners.

Last week, Andrew Snowden joined people living in Bacup at a public meeting held by Bacup Business Association to hear from residents the key issues they feel they are facing an their town and discuss how the police can better support business owners.

The commissioner talked about what progress has been made over the last 12 months since his last visit to the association, followed by a Q&A session with residents.

Discussions explored how officer numbers have been bolstered to bring neighbourhood policing back into the heart of the community and how Lancashire Constabulary's Operation Centurion is getting tough on anti-social behaviour (ASB). 

Various Bacup projects have benefitted from funding from the  ommissioner's Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund since its launch in March 2021.

Bacup Family Centre received £10k last year, allow them to set up a dedicated youth centre to provide young people with space where they can feel safe and engage positively in the community. 

Both the Bacup Natural History Museum and the Stubbylee Safer Spaces project at the Bacup Consortium Trust received funding for CCTV to keep their premises safe and combat ASB as well as dangerous driving in the area.

Mr Snowden said: “As the public's voice in policing, meetings like this enable me to listen to residents, understand their concerns and try to find pro-active solutions to their issues.

"One thing residents always tell me is that they want a more visible policing presence and I was delighted to hear residents are starting see more officers on the beat. 

"Successful neighbourhood policing needs officers at the heart of the local areas they serve which is why I've invested in strengthening local teams that understand the unique issues and the concerns of different communities.

“I will continue to support the chief constable with the necessary resources and assistance to target offenders, safeguard the public, and ensure that residents feel a greater sense of security.”