POLICE PAPERWORK AT 40%!

Police officers are still spending 40 per cent of their time doing paperwork despite a Government drive to get more PCs out on the beat, according to a new report out today. (Police paperwork)

Home Office figures reveal that the amount of time officers are spending on the front line has barely increased in the past year. The national average stood at 64.2 per cent, just 0.6 per cent up on last year.

There was more bad news for the Government as the report also provided a league table of the worst-performing police forces in the country, with Bedfordshire listed as the worst-performing police force in England and Wales.

It came bottom of a league table that was based on Government data, scoring just one point out of a possible 21.

The Government's Police Performance Assessments rate the 43 forces in seven different categories. They are: tackling crime, resources and efficiency, serious crime and public protection, protecting vulnerable people, satisfaction and fairness, implementation of neighbourhood policing and local priorities.

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty warned that forces are facing financially "tight" times as the Government prepares to publish its long-awaited Comprehensive Spending Review.

He said: "We are now entering a more flat-line period in terms of resources after seven or eight years of growth."

Asked about police inefficiency, he added: "The notion that this is still an inefficient public service is wrong."

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Ronnie Flanagan said most forces have made significant improvements following last year's inspection.

But he added that some have identified specific areas for improvement, in particular in Bedfordshire where inspectors are working with the Chief Constable to turn the problems around.

He said: "It is not going to be a perfect picture across the board and no-one here is trying to pretend that is the case."

Sir Ronnie said police forces have improved the way they protect vulnerable people but he said there must be no let-up in efforts to identify, manage and reduce risk to the public.

DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT - JOIN NAVIGOR TODAY !