The force won't be with you

14.05.47: THE CIVIL liberties group Civic gave a cautious welcome to government proposals for substantial cuts in the police force.

But Jack Gibson, the group's chairman, said that such cuts could lead to the wholesale disbanding of the democratic policing system and a further increase in private security forces.

Dismissing his concerns, the home secretary, Sean Howard, said that the government had no plans to replace the local management of policing. "However, comp