Community patrols to join police

Plans to recruit a brand- new force to patrol the streets of Britain and back up the police came a step closer today with the publication of a Reform Bill from Home Secretary David Blunkett.

The measure will put in place a new tier of police auxiliaries, to be called "community support officers".

Although they will be civilians, they will have the power to hold suspects until police arrive and it is planned that they will be deployed on "high-visibility patrols" to curb problems like vandalism, truancy and petty crime. The Police Federation has voiced doubts over what it calls "policing on the cheap".

However, ministers have argued that, as well as providing public reassurance, the plan will free highly-trained police officers to concentrate on more serious crime.

The Bill also puts in place a fully independent police complaints commission and gives the Home Secretary powers, for the first time, to dismiss a chief constable.