First they brought in the “plastic plod”, with little training and even fewer powers to put “a police presence” on the streets and save money at the same time.

Yet that failed. And yet they wonder why.

So they decided to go even cheaper, with civilian police. No, not special constables, who plenty of training and powers, but people whose only qualification is the fact that they have a little red, white and black badge which reads “Community Safety Scheme Accredited” in tiny letters.

They have no training, and their powers are limited to being able to:

• issue fines for truancy, rowdiness, graffiti, dog-fouling and riding a bike on a pavement
• take cigarettes and alcohol from teenagers
• direct traffic, and
• ensure abandoned vehicles are removed.

This is just asking for trouble and for confrontations. If one of these 1,406 “accredited persons” with their ickle badge tried to issue me with a fine, they’d get told in no uncertain terms where they could shove it.

What we need is actual police on the streets. Policemen and women on the streets promote a feeling of safety. Policing on the cheap does nothing except alienate people from the law.