POLICE have defended a restructuring decision that will leave its East Lancashire division without its own Chief Superintendent after criticism from Labour MPs.

Chorley’s Lindsay Hoyle, Burnley’s Julie Cooper, and Blackburn’s Kate Hollern, have expressed concern at the change depriving the force’s three divisions of their individual high-ranking commanders.

They have been told they will now be headed locally by a chief inspector ‘acting up’ with a single chief supt based at force headquarters at Hutton near Preston overseeing their work.

Mr Hoyle will meet Lancashire chief constable Andy Rhodes next week to call for a rethink.

A police spokesman said: “Over the next couple of months, chief superintendents will move from their posts in divisions to take up new thematic roles.

“This move is designed to ensure that the police has the correct level of resources in each area right across the force so that we can continue to keep our residents safe and feeling safe.

“There will be no reduction in police officers, and each division will still have support from a chief superintendent.

“They will also retain all their other senior officers, including a superintendent in charge of operations, a detective superintendent to lead investigations and three Place-based chief inspectors to oversee local policing.

“While there were some benefits to having chief superintendents in division, we believe the new model will ensure our resources are used to best effect.

“We believe these changes will deliver a better service for local residents.”

It follows the merger of six divisions, each with their own commander of chief supt rank, to three in 2013.

This saw the Pennine Division, based in Burnley, amalgamated with its Eastern counterpart based in Blackburn.

The merged East Division was based at Blackburn’s Greenbank headquarters.