Labour's 'plastic bobbies' replace full-time police

The biggest forces are taking on significantly more police community support officers, or PCSOs, while employing fewer better-trained staff.

Figures released to The Mail on Sunday under the Freedom of Information Act disclose that over the next 12 months the number of PCSOs is set to soar.

Support officers cost the taxpayer at least £10,000 a year less than full-time police and their training lasts just three weeks instead of six months. The increasing use of PCSOs has led to accusations that the Government is guilty of policing 'on the cheap'.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "PCSOs have their role but that role is not replacing proper police officers with full police powers. Yet again the Government is cheating the public by stealth cuts in police funding."

Eight of the 43 forces in England and Wales predicted they would recruit more support officers than police by 2008.

Only Derbyshire forecast a fall in support officers and an increase in full-time police.

Cheshire Police said it would employ 102 fewer policemen and women - a drop from 2,258 to 2,156 - by March next year, while recruiting a further 51 support officers in addition to the 186 it currently employs.

Humberside is set to lose 39 police officers while gaining 132 support officers. Greater Manchester is taking on a further 66 PCSOs while cutting police numbers by 48.

The Metropolitan Police, Britain's biggest force, plans to recruit a further 585 police but an extra 879 support officers.

Brian Stockham, chairman of Sussex Police Federation, said: "What is needed is an increase of police officers rather than a decrease - because police officers will observe and engage with what they see is necessary, whereas PCSOs can only observe and report."

Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation for England and Wales, added: "If PCSOs are there to be the eyes and ears, that's fine. But they are increasingly replacing police officers and that visible police presence.

"Police get de-skilled and, as time goes by, there will be no alternative but to give PCSOs increased powers.

One city-centre policeman with five years' service said: "What I and my colleagues fear is that PCSOs will be given more powers as a way of cheap policing, undermining the work we do, and our status."