A NUMBER of months ago the police announced a scheme to occasionally park a patrol car in a lay-by at Guiseley in a bid to improve contact with the community.

We met this news with a certain amount of incredulity, commenting it was no substitute for the real police presence our communities are crying out for.

The news this week that a police superintendent says the scheme is under threat because officers are finding it hard to find the time to 'park up' leaves us almost speechless.

As one national newspaper columnist is fond of saying: "You couldn't make this up."

While we are willing to regretfully accept the shameful situation that the taxpayers of Guiseley, yeadon and other towns cannot have their own police station, the fact such a lamentably poor substitute service is also beyond the force would be laughable, were the message it gives out about staffing levels not so serious.

A cynic might say when the police are forced to set their sights so low, is it any wonder they shoot themselves in the foot.

In our original editorial comment we pointed out the police were not to blame for this state of affairs as officers do their best in the fight against crime while handcuffed by lack of resources, political correctness and a court and correctional system that seems to do all it can to actually keep villains on the streets.

Instead, it is our fault, for not demanding our politicians find a way to give us the service we want, and the one the police would like to deliver. That remains the case.

Until we tell our political representatives, whatever their political persuasion, that unless things improve we will boot them and their hangers-on out of their offices and expense accounts we only have ourselves to blame.

It was nice to hear the superintendent also state: "In between calls, I would rather see police patrolling areas where there is a threat of crime and trying to prevent crime, rather than sitting in a car waiting for the public to come to them."

At last - a voice of reason.

Let us have no more of these stupid schemes which are more about image than crime prevention or catching crooks. The police want to be out there, catching criminals, and so they should be. It is up to us to ensure they have the manpower, resources and management to do so.