Police Community Support Officers are an "ill conceived concept" and their presence does not reassure the public, a police boss claimed last night.

Chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation Tom McGhie said he would prefer to see more fully-trained officers on the streets rather than the PCSOs of which there are now 604 in the county.

He said: "We have concerns about PCSOs and I believe they are an ill-conceived and not fully thought through concept.

"There has been no proper evaluation and there is no proper definition of their role. Police officers should be on the beat. We need to make sure the public is confident in policing and I do not believe they are reassured by PCSOs.

"Part of the problem is that they only have some powers. Give them powers and call them police officers. I would like to see more police on the street instead."

Mr McGhie's comments come as MPs debated the growing problem of anti-social behaviour.

Shipley MP Philip Davies told MPs PCSOs in West Yorkshire did a "fantastic job" but he feared the officers were not being taken seriously enough and being branded "toy" police.

He said: "When I spent time out late at night with PCSOs in my constituency, I noticed that some of the yobs and thugs whom the officers try to move on and disperse do not treat the officers with the respect that they should because they do not see them as real police officers.

"Many PCSOs I have spoken to have encountered the problem. If they had more powers, such as the ability to use handcuffs, more respect for them might be fostered."

PCSOs, introduced as part of the Police Reform Act 2002, have the power to detain suspects, direct traffic and issue fixed penalty notices.

Mr Davies said the problem was a double edged sword as the public wanted to see officers on the beat which PCSOs do, but because they patrol in pairs, fully fledged officers working alone could cover a greater vicinity.

He said: "I am led to believe that the cost of six PCSOs is the equivalent of four police officers, who can patrol the streets on their own.

"I understand why PCSOs patrol in pairs because they do not have the same equipment police officers have."

However, Mr Davies said from his time spent with West Yorkshire Police in the summer, PCSOs are more likely to be told intelligence about problems in an area than officers.

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