Will this plastic policeman deter shoplifters from Morrisons in Kempston?

Don’t be alarmed if you see this police officer in the window of Morrisons Daily in Kempston – he’s not about to put the cuffs on you.

It’s hoped the fake fed – as Bedfordshire Police have dubbed him – will act as a deterrent to those who regularly shoplift at the Springfield Centre store as he’s actually a plastic replica of Kempston PCSO 7020.

In a post on social media, officers from the Bedford Community Policing Team said: “I think you’ll agree it’s highly realistic and it’s almost as if PCSO 7020 is actually there in person.”

But one person was quick to point out: “Surely by telling everyone (including shoplifters) that this is a cardboard cut out, it doesn't serve as a deterrent at all.”

It's not the first time forces around the country have used fake officers – in a joint move by police and a council, a cardboard cut-out of an officer was chained to a lamppost in an Edinburgh street to stop a speedy motorists.