TONY Blair obviously wants this country to be the world's policeman in Iraq.

That's a bit ironic when we can't even manage to police places such as rural Bucks.

I was flabbergasted to read the Free Press last week and learn just how deep the crisis in police recruitment is in this county.

Thames Valley Police is losing officers to other forces at the rate of knots. Things are so bad that the percentage of rookies is expected soon to exceed the percentage of qualified officers on the front line.

If you can tell you're getting older when the policemen look younger, then we are all going to feel very ancient.

Most of our bobbies will barely be out of short trousers. You won't have to worry about giving this lot housing allowances as a perk because they'll likely be still living at home. They'll probably settle for a few jars of acne cream instead.

The major reason for the crisis appears to be that officers in other forces pay more. The Metropolitan Police, for instance, gives up to £4,000 extra per year plus free Tube travel.

It all boils down to the inequality of London weighting. Bucks is a hugely expensive place to live and is probably nearer central London than some parts of the actual capital itself.

But it pays its key workers less because they are technically outside the city.

There is consequently a timebomb ticking under our emergency and health services.

Bucks is considered one of the richest areas in the country, but soon you're not going to have any police officers to guard those riches.

I can see the day when residents in wealthy places such as Gerrards Cross club together and pay for a privatised police force.

Pumping money into the bottomless bureaucratic pit of the NHS was all very well, but perhaps the Government would have done better to spread some of the cash out among key workers in the regions.

This crisis in our police force has to be taken seriously. If we're not careful you won't soon be able to find a bobby on the beat past midnight in Bucks, because it'll be past their bedtime.

January 24, 2003 11:00