Police unveil their latest weapon to fight crime - Top Trumps cards of THEMSELVES

But now children's Top Trumps trading cards are to feature the faces of police officers in the hope of making policing 'cool'.

The 'Cop Swap' initiative launched by Hampshire Police and Portsmouth City Council aims to make police more approachable for youngsters.

However critics say officers should win respect by tackling criminals.

Conservative Councillor Steve Wemyss said: 'This is a gimmick. it will have no impact on crime or antisocial behaviour.'

Officers give themselves special skills ratings, marking themselves on four categories - pedal power, problem solving, agility and strength - and then hand them out to youths on the streets.

Top Trump? Police Sergeant Ben Mclane shows off his card with ratings on pedal power, problem solving, agility and strength

Each has had 2,000 of their own game cards printed, complete with their 'top tip' to the public and their favourite part of policing. Some have even given themselves nicknames, such as Pc Alan 'Bullet' Hunter.

On the cards, youngsters are told pearls of wisdom including 'If it isn't yours, don't touch it', 'Always eat breakfast' and 'Be kind to your mum, she loves you'.

The scheme has already cost £3,000.

Schoolchildren are said to have started collecting the 48 different cards which feature Community Support Officers right up to a 'platinum' Chief Superintendent card.

Collectible: Four of the cards from the 48-strong set. Officers give their top tips and list their favourite parts of the job, including 'seizing alcohol from youths'

A Hampshire Police spokesman admits some officers were initially unhappy at being turned into a Top Trumps game.

'There were a couple of officers who had reservations about the whole thing. They thought "I'm a police officer, I'm here to solve crime, why am I handing out game cards?".

'We had to convince them that we weren't messing about and told them that the children will love the cards and more people will talk to you as a result.

'Some of those children can be the hardest to tap into. These cards create a bridge between them and the officers.

'It's going fantastically well. Officers say they are getting mobbed outside schools by children saying "we want one, we want one".'

Trade: Each officer has 2,000 of their own card printed and then gives them to children

PCSO Phil Farrell, 35, claimed his card had transformed him into a 'hero' with schoolchildren.

He said: 'My pedal power is 30 and my strength is 40 and the kids are loving that - I'm now a hero so that's good.

'We even get mothers coming up to us asking for Cop Swap cards and I now get recognised all the time by kids on the street - they all call me Fatboy Farrell.

'I must admit I never thought I'd have my own Top Trumps-style game card - it's quite an honour. It's getting quite fierce and competitive at the police station.

'There are officers who don't want you to hand their cards out because they want to be rare and in demand.'

Each officer was given 100 points to split between the four categories and can then list their most enjoyable part of being a policeman.

Answers ranged from 'policing in the Caribbean' to 'searching houses for drugs' and 'seizing alcohol from underage youths'.

The scheme follows a similar concept launched by Devon and Cornwall last year, which was condemned by the Taxpayers' Alliance as a 'gimmick'.

Chief executive Matthew Elliot said: 'Tax payers are not grateful for PR gimmicks like this which do nothing to increase respect for the police force.

'Children will only respect the police if they see them tackling crime effectively. Gimmicky stickers will only make the police look like fools.'

Sergeant Neil Keller, who is behind the new Hampshire scheme, insisted it is a valid way of tackling crime and engaging with children.

'Anti-social behaviour is the blight of our communities and the trick is to engage young people and get a message across before they do that,'  he said.

'We hope they may just picture one of our cards or remember a conversation with someone like Phil Farrell and it may stop them doing something that would upset someone else.

'Ultimately if they are willing to talk to us then it increases the flow of information from the community and that means we can detect and solve more crime.'

The cards are limited to officers and council wardens who work on the Fratton Safer Neighbourhoods Teams.

There is some concern that the rarest card may end up being PCSO Charlotte O'Sullivan who has moved to the Isle of Wight, taking all 2,000 of her cards with her.