A REPORT into how Lancashire Police will deal with £42m budget cuts has found the force is ‘well prepared’ to meet the challenge.

The Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report said both the police and the authority understand the scale of the challenge and have a strategic four year plan to meet it.

It said the force was ‘ahead of where it needs to be’.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has previously outlined plans to cut 800 officer and staff posts.

By March 2015, there should be 3,108 officers, 1,836 staff and 427 PCSOs, the report said.

Northern Region HMIC inspector Roger Baker said: “Local public consultation had taken place and there was evidence that this feedback had influenced the change programme.”

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Weigh said: “Together with our police authority, we have developed a comprehensive review programme which has included a series of organisation reviews and resulted in a four year plan”.

“I am confident that this Constabulary is in a position to meet the challenges ahead and people should be reassured that HMIC has given our programme a resounding vote of confidence”

Malcolm Doherty, chairman of the Police Authority, welcomed the report, saying that it acknowledged the huge progress the Constabulary and the authority have made to meet the funding gap while protecting police performance.

He said: “HMIC recognised that we had taken on board the scale of the challenge at an early stage and taken appropriate actions to deliver the necessary savings.”

Click on the link below to read the full report.