In a significant show of strength, up to 10,000 rank-and-file police officers converged on Westminster yesterday to protest about the British government's radical plans to overhaul pay and conditions.
The off-duty officers from every police force across the UK were signalling their disappointment and frustration at proposals currently being debated in parliament to limit overtime and allowances and introduce new Community Support Officers (CSO) with limited police powers.
Members of the Police Federation last month voted 10 to one against to reject a government pay offer linked to the reforms and amid warnings that the police force is "in crisis" there are signs that officers may vote soon to end the 83-year ban on strikes.
As the Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, announced there were a record 128,748 police officers in England and Wales, disgruntled police officers gathered at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre for discussions with MPs and government officials. It was the first time in nine years that police officers had taken to the streets to protest about government reforms and later a queue of officers waiting to get into the Commons lobby to discuss their concerns with Labour MPs stretched across Lambeth Bridge.
In addition to the grievances about pay and conditions, police officers believe CSOs - who will be given the power to detain a suspect for up to half an hour until a police officer arrives - should not be given police powers and will not receive adequate training.
After talks with the Home Secretary, the Police Federation chairman, Mr Fred Broughton, said the issue of pay and conditions was now in official conciliation but there was still much anger over the proposals on CSOs. Asked if Mr Blunkett had indicated the government was willing to back down on plans to introduce CSOs, Mr Broughton said: "He hasn't. There is enormous anger here." Mr Blunkett said he wanted a modernised pay and conditions package that would provide "reward for the reforms" while leaving police officers better off in the long-term.