POLICE bosses today claimed they have been armed with the support of the public over the force's cash crisis as they get ready to take on the Government.

Lancashire Constabulary is facing £4.2million of cuts, unless it can convince The Office For The Deputy Prime Minister not to cap a police precept council tax rise of 15 per cent.

Savings on mounted police, the underwater search and mountain rescue teams and back office staff and not replacing retiring officers have all been suggested in the worst case scenario.

But the county's Police Authority has been carrying out public consultations over the past few weeks to head off the need for cuts. And its chief executive, Brian Aldred, today said surveys had found that 78 per cent of people were happy to pay that increase.

This evidence will now be submitted to the Government in a bid to change ministers' minds about capping council tax rises to three per cent.

Mr Aldred said: "We recognise that even with this amount of extensive consultation, not everyone will agree with the findings.

"The authority now needs to put all this in the context of government rules on capping of council tax bills, the impact on the policing service in Lancashire and the affordability of council tax in general.

"We will not be rushing off to put another 15 per cent on the bill purely on the strength of these outcomes."

Baroness Ruth Henig, chairman of the authority, added: "We will use this information when lobbying the Government.

"The responses demonstrate that the people of Lancashire want us to have the proper and necessary resources to fight crime in our communities."

The force is facing the cuts because finance bosses say an extra £13.5 million is required next year to standstill.

But the Government has only given £7.9million extra, an increase of 4.3 per cent. Therefore there is a shortfall of £5.6 million and a three per cent council tax rise would bring in just £1.38million.

If this missing £4.2million cannot be recouped through 15 per cent increases in the police precept -- equivalent to £15 a week more for a Band D household -- there will be cuts.