following a meeting with a Home Office minister Cleveland Police Authority is hopeful of Government help to offset the costs of long-running corruption inquiry Operation Lancet.

A delegation from Cleveland Police Authority met Home Office Minister Charles Clarke on Wednesday.

They pressed for metropolitan status for Cleveland Police, an acceleration of recruitment and help with the multi-million pound cost of Operation Lancet and associated inquiries.

Members of the deputation described the meeting as 'positive and constructive.'

Coun Ken Walker, chairman of the police authority, said: "No one expects to get instant answers from a meeting of this kind, but it was a useful opportunity for us to underline to the minister key issues we had raised in our letter asking for talks.

"Central to our meeting was our argument that, whilst Cleveland may be a small force in terms of its numbers and area, it does face big challenges."

Under current Government plans the police authority will receive funding to recruit 74 extra officers by March 2003, but the authority's wish is to achieve that target much earlier.

On the subject of the costs of Operation Lancet, totalling £3.75m for just this year and the previous 12 months, Mr Clarke suggested the authority had further discussions with his department