No speed camera cash-in

Britain's top police officer has condemned forces that use speed cameras to raise money.

Met Commissioner Sir John Stevens said the true purpose of the cameras was to lower accident rates and that they should not be used as " moneymaking devices".

He spoke out amid public outcry over the rising number of cameras that punish drivers with a £60 fine and penalty points on their licence. However, he stressed cameras should be installed in places where there is a history of serious accidents.

He said: "I'm not after people on a school run exceeding the limit by five miles an hour. I want to target the dangerous motorists and menaces drivingunlicensed and uninsured." In Hampshire, where motorcycle deaths have nearly doubled in a year, six new cameras are netting police an extra £30,000 a month. But they cannot trap motorcycles, which do not have a number plate on their fronts.

Sir John admitted that when he took charge four years ago, the reputation of British police and the Met was probably at an all-time low. "We could not get recruits because young men and women thought we were all racist and corrupt."

He said that if the Met had not acted quickly, numbers could have fallen to half-strength, about 15,000. "Now we have won back the confidence of the community, complaints against us have dropped to virtually nothing and we have 60 people per day applying to join us," he said.

In a candid interview with the Mirror, the 61-year-old also said the public had the right to defend themselves and that he would be prepared to quiz members of the royal family and intelligence chiefs over the death of Princess Diana.

Below are Sir John's views on the major challenges facing the Met today.

Terror

The threat of terrorism remains high, but Britain is among the best in the world at fighting it.
Sir John said there was "no question" there were groups intent on attacking Britain. He said the anti-terrorist squad had been increased to nearly 800 officers, and the security services and Special Branch had also been bolstered. "Sadly I cannot now see the situation changing in my lifetime, at least," he said. "The good news is we are provenly the best in the world at fighting the terrorist threat."
During the last 30 years of IRA campaigns and other threats, there was not a single incident that police did not solve, catch the culprits or know who was responsible, he claimed. There are 90 people in custody awaiting trial on terrorism charges, he added.

Self-defence

Everyone has the right to defend themselves or their loved ones if they are being attacked.
But Sir John explained: "What has to be understood is that you can only use that force in defence and not carry out an attack of your own. In other words, once the danger has passed, once the attacker has stopped, started to run, surrendered, and you are no longer under threat, your violence must cease as well."
He said he thought it was right that Tony Martin was convicted of murder as he shot the burglars in his house as they were attempting to run away. The farmer also used an illegal, unlicensed gun, he added.

Racial integration

It is vital to recruit people into the police from as many different communities as possible. Leaving any groups isolated would store up trouble.
Out of the 68 different ethnic groups living in London, 15 have arrived during Sir John's time in charge. There are understood to be 372 languages spoken in Britain. He said: "We need to be involved with and understand all these (communities), not just for the good of society but because some of these communities harbour vital information about organised crime, serious immigration offences and terrorism."

Organised crime

Sir John backs the formation of a new national crime-fighting team that encompasses various organisations - the National Crime Squad, Customs and the immigration services.
He said there had previously been a "ludicrous" situation in which rival lawenforcement groups competed against each other for the same turf. "We even had police and Customs teams competing against each other to investigate the same criminal gangs, refusing to share information and intelligence," he said.
"The only people who have benefited from this madness have been the gangsters who have made huge profits."

Drugs

The Dutch approach to drugs is "disastrous", according to Sir John, who is not in favour of legalisation.
"If you take your foot off the brake pedal the whole vehicle goes out of control," he said.
"I do not want to see Dutch-style coffee houses in Britain, where you can go to smoke cannabis." He said police would not pursue people in their own homes if they smoked a small amount but stressed those smoking cannabis in public would still be arrested.

I'll quiz security services over Diana's death

The chiefs of the MI5 and MI6 will face questions over claims Princess Diana was killed in a conspiracy.
While investigating claims that her death was not an accident, Sir John promised to interview security service heads, if required. "If I feel it is necessary to question the heads of the MI6 and MI5 then I will interview them," he said. "This will be a completely comprehensive investigation. We will be looking at all the conspiracy allegations. If it becomes necessary to interview members of the royal family, they will be interviewed and I will do that personally."
Sir John, who was asked by royal coroner Michael Burgess to investigate the conspiracy claims, is expected to visit the scene of Diana's death in Paris.