Forty fewer police officers will be patrolling the streets of the borough than there were three years ago as a result of Government cuts, it has been revealed.

Hyndburn's MP Graham Jones has warned that crime figures could rise as it was claimed that the number of police staff in Hyndburn could fall even further.

Funding cuts of £43 million have seen the numbers of police officers in the borough fall since 2009 with Lancashire Constabulary chiefs still facing having to find another £4 million in savings.

The overwhelming majority of the officers who have left the force have done so due to natural wastage.

An estimated further 18 police support staff will also have left by 2015.

Mr Jones said that neighbourhood policing could be on the verge of collapsing.

He added: "We're going back to the police service where it's just a very thin blue line with emergencies only.

"We are going to lose 40 police officers and 17 or 18 back office support staff which the police have to cover for – so that is nearly 60 staff in Hyndburn alone.

"We are moving back to a 1970s police service – a basic service with crime rising."

A new police commissioner will due to consider a number of policing funding issues, including an option to abolish PCSOs in the county, following elections to the post later this year. There are currently 23 PCSOs serving Hyndburn.

Lancashire Police said they expected to have lost 537 police officers and 250 police staff posts across the county by 2015 as a result of the cuts.

Lancashire Police Federation, the body representing rank and file police officers, says the shortages are damaging community policing.

Chairman Rachel Baines said: "My biggest concern is this isn't the end. In 12 months' time we could be looking for more money to find."

It is thought that Hyndburn will be left with around 223 police officers after the cuts with 3,157 currently serving across Lancashire.

Whether further cuts are needed could be decided by the amount of money the police are able to get from next year's council tax precept.

The police funding warning comes as Great Harwood police station's opening hours were cut by more than half this week.

John Duckworth, chairman of the town's regeneration board, thinks Great Harwood lacks a "robust police presence", especially for tackling low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.

He said: "All you can see is there's a lot of stuff going on and there doesn't seem to be any police doing anything about it.

"There does seem to be a complete disregard because there's no-one there to tap someone on the shoulder and say 'you don't do that'."

Nominations for the elections to elect a new police commissioner officially open on Monday, October 8 and close on Friday, October 19.

Tim Ashton, the Conservative candidate for the Police Commissioner elections, has already pledged to keep increases in police funding low, if elected.

He told the Observer: "Crime has gone down since the spending review.

"I'm not absolutely convinced that throwing more money at the police would reduce crime proportionately.

"Until I look at the books I wouldn't like to promise anything. But I'm clearly aware that families in Lancashire are struggling to feed families and pay household bills.

"It's a case of balancing that with making sure we have got a robust and good quality police force."

Mr Ashton said that, while the number of police officers across the county had fallen, police levels were still the same as in 2003.

He added: "They've reduced, but they've not reduced massively."

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said every aspect of the Constabulary has been reviewed in order to deliver the savings.