Blunkett promises war on red tape

David Blunkett will promise a war on red tape in the police to free rank-andfile of ficers from the burden of paperwork.

But the pledge to help officers get back to fighting crime is unlikely to save him from a hostile reception when he faces an audience of the constables and sergeants who marched on Westminster this year in protest at his police reforms.

The Home Secretary is worried that he will face a repeat of the slow hand-clapping which greeted his predecessor Jack Straw at the last Police Federation annual conference. Mr Blunkett has warned officers they would be setting a bad example to thugs if they heckle him.

But as the officers ' Bournemouth conference opened yesterday, it was clear feelings are running high about the aggressive way Mr Blunkett has pursued police reform.

In an attempt to mollify them Mr Blunkett is also expected to announce funding of £140million today to help Scotland Yard improve its emergency calls system and to pay for an extra 800 officers over five years.

The cash will also help fund a new hi-tech call handling system to help the Met cope with an average of nearly 2.5 million 999 calls per year and to recruit and train civilian call handlers. Instead of calls being handled by all 32 boroughs, by spring of 2006, three call centres at Bow, Hendon and Lambeth will handle all 999 calls in London.

John Harrison, chairman of the sergeants' branch of the federation, used a speech yesterday to complain that officers had been "treated disgracefully" in recent months, accusing the Home Secretary of being "too arrogant to listen".

But Mr Blunkett hopes to be able to move forward in his relationship with officers now that the long-running saga over pay and overtime has been resolved.

He is expected to announce a review of all legislation governing police powers and practices under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The aim is to slash the amount of paperwork required when an officer makes an arrest.

The Act was introduced to tighten up police procedures. But the number of codes of practice governing evidence gathering has grown by 25 per cent since then.

The effect is an arrest can take anywhere between two and eight hours to complete and officers spend only 17 per cent of their time on patrol.

Mr Blunkett is expected to say he will liberate officers from paperwork but he knows today's meeting could turn ugly. He was at pains last night to make clear he is going to Bournemouth to explain rather than lecture.