LANCASHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has written to the Home Secretary to express his concern over the impact further police cuts could have.

Clive Grunshaw said Lancashire Police was fast approaching a ‘tipping point’.

He said: “The police force as a whole has never had to endure cuts on this scale and, while so far we have managed to ride the changes without seeing a detrimental impact on levels of reported crime, this cannot continue.

“This government should stop being complacent about the crime statistics and realise that there are consequences to their decisions.

“Crime has been at an unprecedented low but, as the cuts really start to bite, so we will start to see year-on-year increases.

"Chief constable Steve Finnigan points to a rise in first-time offenders turning to shoplifting to put food on their tables.

“It is a fact that, while the constabulary is facing significant financial challenges, so are Lancashire's residents – and we cannot ignore the potential impact this has on crime levels.”