Our county's police force's growing deployment of bicycles in their fight to reduce crime is about to take on a whole new dimension with the possible introduction of rapid-response tandem bicycles.

This has arisen because officers who currently use cycles as part of a high visibility crime crack-down have had cause to arrest an offender (also on a bike) and their only recourse has been to request they follow them (on their bike) to the nearest police station.

This does, of course, pose potential problems - the willingness of the offender to meet this request and the inability (if inebriated) of actually remaining on his bike.

Notwithstanding, Chief Inspector Mills has identified (hopefully these) and other shortfalls of the system and is considering whether to issue rapid response tandems.

Visions of the Keystone Cops and The Goodies come to mind.

Of course, offenders rights would have to be reviewed to accommodate this new initiative - "You are not obliged to pedal but failure to do so do could make our journey to the nick a very slow one and could be used as evidence of your reluctance to assist the police in conveying you there".

An officer's simple request of "would you accompany me to the police station" would take on a whole new meaning. Norman Tebbit has a lot to answer for.

-Robin Tulley, Hangleton