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SOUTH Norfolk MP Richard Bacon is calling upon Home Secretary David Blunkett and police minister Hazel Blears to radically reduce the amount of time police officers spend filling in forms. 

This follows the publication last week of Home Office data in which the time police

officers spend doing paperwork has been defined as 'frontline policing'.

Mr Bacon said: "My constituents regularly complain that they don't see police officers around frequently enough. This is because of the mountain of paperwork facing the police after every incident. I know because Wymondham police showed me a huge table piled high with forms for every kind of eventuality".

Hazel Blears has been quoted as saying that it is correct to include hours spent on paperwork in frontline statistics but overall detection rates are reported to be dropping and according to Home Office figures, less than half of Norfolk's residents believe the police do a good job.

Mr Bacon said: "This is utter nonsense. People join the police because they want to get out and improve the community, not so they can be chained to a desk. I wrote to the Home Secretary in August and I've written to the police minister calling for a rationalisation on form filling. The police and the public deserve a better deal".

See also:
LOCAL NEWS: 'Let the police do their job'

SPEECHES: Neighbourhood policing