BLACKBURN MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has promised to meet Lancashire Chief Constable Pauline Clare to discuss the force's funding settlement which the county's top cop has described as "disappointing".

Lancashire Constabulary bosses said cuts to services were inevitable after it received only £6million in extra funding for next year, a figure which the force considers inadequate to meet its expanding workload and commitments.

Police bosses said the provisional £200million settlement would leave them facing very difficult decisions about "how to allocate resources to operational policing".

However, they have promised to avoid cuts affecting the number of bobbies on the beat.

The cash, part of the Government's allocation of funding to police forces across the country, represents an increase of just 3.1 per cent on last year's figure.

Police say the increase is below the amount needed to fund pay and price increases for the second year running.

They go on to say that the shortfall will mean cuts are inevitable, although it is unclear exactly how these will affect the force.

Mr Straw said: "What is certainly true is that we are putting more money into the police service this year than for the last 15 years. However I shall be discussing any concerns with Pauline Clare and the Police Authority.''

The promise was echoed by Hyndburn MP Greg Pope who said: "I shall talk to the local police about the level of the settlement and raise any appropriate concerns about it with Home Office Ministers. It is important to make sure Hyndburn and Lancashire are properly policed'', he added.

Chief Constable Pauline Clare described the settlement as "disappointing" saying she was surprised to see few extra resources after the latest White Paper on police reform.

She added: "It leaves us facing a year of financial constraints if we simply wish to fund the pay increases, which have already been agreed, and the spiralling cost of pensions.

"There will be little else left which means once again we will have to meet our new investments through efficiency savings.

"We are already looking at areas where some savings can be met, but we have to be very careful that these do not impact on our operational effectiveness and, in particular, on the services we provide to the communities in Lancashire."

Mrs Clare also gave her reaction to Home Secretary David Blunkett's White Paper on police reforms.

She said her initial impression of the suggestions was favourable as many aspects of the police service needed reform.

She added that Lancashire was already leading the way in many of the suggestions, such as community wardens with the Community Safety Officers used in some parts of the county, and with intelligence led policing.