Police chiefs fear auxiliaries will undermine and replace qualified 'bobbies on the beat'

Chief constables are concerned about a radical plan being drawn up by Scotland Yard to hire civilians to carry out street patrols and tackle low-level offending, a senior police leader disclosed yesterday.

Some police chiefs fear that the scheme, due to begin in April (as reported in The Independent yesterday), will undermine the work of constables and could lead to fewer fully qualified "bobbies on the beat", said Chief Superintendent Kevin Morris, the president of the Superintendents' Association. The unease comes after the disclosure that Scotland Yard intends to set up a pilot scheme in which about 800 civilians, known as police auxiliaries, will be used to patrol streets. Earning about £17,500 a year they will be expected to carry out a range of jobs including confiscating drugs, detaining suspected law breakers and issuing fines to aggressive beggars and for traffic offences.

The Home Office has been working with the Metropolitan Police on the pilot scheme and the Home Secretary is expected to give the auxiliaries, who would wear uniforms, special powers to carry out many of these roles. The move is aimed at providing a greater number of beat officers and free up qualified constables.

Chief Supt Morris said some chief constables were worried the auxiliaries could eventually be used instead of highly trained police constables.

He said: "Several chief constables I have spoken to have expressed concerns that if the auxiliaries become a cheaper version of a constable then they could end up replacing police officers."

He added: "The Met have taken a bold step which is probably more than a lot of forces will want to try, but I think this kind of change is inevitable."

He continued: "It's something which makes me feel a little uncomfortable, but not to the extent to say that we should not try it. We need to see how the pilot works and what improvements can be made."

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers added: "Any scheme for auxiliaries or wardens should not come as a substitute or replacement for police officers, they must be in addition. We are hopeful that will not happen."