Paid special constables for Cumbria

Special constables will be paid about £1,000 a year

Cumbria is to be the first area in England to pilot a scheme for paid special constables.

Workington will see a squad of part-time "specials" who will be paid about £1,000 a year.

The move follows a promise from Home Secretary David Blunkett to put more police on the beat.

Cash for the project, which is due to begin in April, will come from the Workington Regeneration project.

Special constables have full police powers

A campaign headed by Workington MP Tony Cunningham, has brought a promise from the Home Office to change the law to allow special constables to be paid.

Rob Rimmer, regeneration manager for Workington, said the special constables would be used to patrol revamped areas of the town and reduce anti-social behaviour.

He said: "We are delighted to have persuaded the Home Office to use Workington as a pilot area.

"It is the result of a long campaign and a meeting with Home Office minister John Denham."

Town centre rangers already patrol parts of Workington, but they cannot arrest troublemakers.

Mr Blunkett revealed plans for paid special constables as part of the Police Reform Bill.

There are currently about 12,700 special constables in the UK, although a few years ago numbers were nearer 30,000.

They work typically for a few hours a week, in uniform and with full police powers. They may carry items such as handcuffs, batons and CS gas.