ELECTING commissioners to run Lancashire police would cost £1.4million - the equivalent of 30 full-time officers, bosses have estimated.

Lancashire Police, which has revealed plans to lose 1,000 staff to save £50million, would have to make further cuts or alternatively increase its council tax share by two per cent to cover the administration costs of the election.

The controversial proposals for directly-elected commissioners to oversee police forces are a key manifesto pledge by the Conservative Party, but they have been opposed by local councils and senior police officers.

Now Tory-run Lancashire County Council has voted to defy government instructions to have the commissioners in place by 2012.

Instead County Hall plans to delay any scheme to coincide with council elections in 2013 or European elections in 2014.

The opposition Labour group achieved a cross-party agreement for the changes in order to ‘minimise the cost and reduce needless waste of valuable resources”.

Coun Kevin Ellard, who introduced the motion to the council, confirmed the Police Authority had estimated the cost of any election at £1.4million.

Tory cabinet member Mike Calvert, who represents Pendle East, gave his blessing to the proposals.

“I am happy to support this, based on the austere times we are in, and the need to set an example to Lancashire taxpayers on being prudent with their money.”

Hyndburn Labour MP Graham Jones, who also sits on the county council, said elected police commissioners were ‘an extraordinary and unnecessary extra cost’.

The motion was unanimously passed.