POLICE community support officers (PCSOs) must not be used to replace fully-trained bobbies - that is the verdict of North Yorkshire's police federation.

Branch chairman Mark Botham was speaking out after it was revealed that PCSOs in some parts of the country are to be given more powers to ease the burden on frontline cops.

A pilot scheme will expand their role to include tasks such as taking witness statements and trawling through CCTV footage for clues.

Mr Botham said: "We recognise that in certain quarters Community Support Officers are popular.

"And we have no fight with the men and women who perform the role.

"But they are what it says in the name - Community Support Officers.

"They are not police and they should provide a support role.

"They should be employed in addition to, and not in place of, fully trained, fully equipped fully sworn professional police officers."

A £940,000 scheme to give PCSOs new powers will be tested out in the North West over a 16-month period and if it is a success, it will be extended elsewhere.

Last week, PCSOs were branded a "failed experiment" by Manchester police federation chairman Paul Kelly after it emerged two stood by as a boy drowned because they had not been trained to carry out water rescues.

He said more money should be invested in fully-trained officers.

But York police chief Iain Spittal told The Press last week that has no doubt about the value of their role.

He said: "Our experience of PCSOs across the city of York and Selby has been one of success."

"PCSOs play an integral role in our safer neighbourhood teams. The feedback I'm receiving from the public is that PCSOs are very valued and that they are doing work which is helping improve the safety of York and Selby."

The first PCSOs were introduced in North Yorkshire in June, 2003.

Today, there are 186 across the force area - 76 of them in York - and 1,619 fully-trained police officers.


PCSO powers

PCSOs do not have the same powers as police officers, but can:* Tackle burnt out and non-taxed cars * Deal with litter, graffiti, dumping and dog fouling * Report incidents of vandalism and crime * Guide traffic at special events and accidents * Gather evidence of antisocial behaviour * Confiscate alcohol drunk in public places or by underage drinkers * Issue fixed penalty notices