ONE of East Lancashire's most successful policemen has marked his retirement with a plea for "front line" officers to be given more support in their battle against crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Derek McNamara was due to leave the county's force today after 37 years in uniform.

And the Burnley-born police boss, who has acted as deputy to Chief Constable Pauline Clare in recent months, feels officers should be given more time to devote to fighting crime and more help from the legal system.

Mr McNamara highlighted the growing "badness" among certain sections of society as a problem for the force.

He added: "There are a lot of good, young people coming into the force who can handle the problems.

"But I feel the legal system and the courts sometimes don't back them in the way that they should.

"They have to spend a lot of time preparing cases and when they are discontinued or not proceeded with it doesn't give police officers a great deal of faith in the system.

"Time spent preparing cases keeps officers off the streets. We need to get administration and preparation given to clerks so that officers can concentrate on what they should be doing." Mr McNamara, who is married with three children, now plans to move to warmer parts for a "well-earned rest".

He is looking at houses in the country and on the coast and is considering moving to Dorset.

He said: "I have spent 37 and a half years in the force so I plan to hang up my truncheon and ride into the sunset."

Mr McNamara has enjoyed a series of successes both in the force and outside since he joined his local borough constabulary in October 1958, culminating in the award of an OBE in the 1989 New Year Honours for his 30 years' work with the Army Cadet Force.

He has also worked as an assistant county director for the St John Ambulance.

His rapid rise up the police promotion ladder started early and continued on the formation of Lancashire Constabulary in 1969.

He went through the ranks of sergeant, inspector and detective inspector at Burnley and Nelson.

He moved to headquarters to take over the community relations department on his promotion to chief inspector in 1977 and continued in the same role when he became a superintendent in 1983. In 1979, he toured India to further his understanding of the problems facing ethnic minorities.

Another highlight of his career was representing Burnley Police at the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

Mr McNamara became second in command of Blackburn division in 1984 before becoming a chief superintendent the following year. In 1988 he was appointed deputy chief constable in charge of discipline and complaints.

Mr McNamara enjoys fell-walking, concerts and classical music.

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