A CONTROVERSIAL move by police forces to stop taking in lost property has come under criticism.

A report by Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd to the Chief Constables’ Council earlier this year stated: “It is recommended that the police service in England and Wales cease the recording of lost property reports.

“A consistently applied nationwide change is more likely to see a swifter change in behaviour that could demonstrate savings from reduced callers both in person and to contact centres.”

Chief constables are claiming there is no law requiring them to take in and deal with lost property or issue reference numbers for insurers and say that forces are too busy to deal with lost property in a Britain of rising crime and under threat of terrorism. 

Anyone who loses something valuable, such as mobile phones, wallets or handbags, will have to look for it themselves — or pay £4.95 to have it recorded on an independent online service like ‘Report My Loss,’ when the new initiative comes into force.

The move will end the traditional service police forces have provided for decades and leave the public with nowhere to go if they lose or find any items.

Tory MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “Taking lost property reports doesn’t use up a huge amount of resources. It’s part of police being at the heart of our communities and this decision will leave people wondering what the police are there for at all.”

Labour’s Shadow Police Minister Louise Haigh added: “Bit by bit, the bedrock on which policing in this country has been based is being chipped away.”

The proposal is expected to be considered by chief constables within months. 

And in another blow, Thames Valley Police announced last week its dog section, which it shares with Hampshire Constabulary, will have to be reduced from 59 to 44 officers, scrapping the posts of 15 dog handlers.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Hardcastle claimed the reductions would not impact on the service provided by the forces and said no deadline had been set for reaching the reduced numbers target.

He said: “Our dog unit is, and will continue to be, a valued resource that is key to the operational tactics that we have available to deploy.”

The dog unit recently played an active part at the Royal Wedding in Windsor and is currently made up of six sergeants and 53 constables, all of whom are expected to look after at least one general purpose dog.