Jack Doyle
Daily Mail
September 27, 2011

Thousands of civilians have been given sweeping police-style powers allowing them to fine people and demand personal details.

Following a worrying expansion of a discredited Labour project, more than 2,200 civilians including street wardens, housing officers, traffic marshals and stewards can issue financial  penalties for ‘offences’ such as dropping litter, dog fouling  and truancy.

Coalition ministers have allowed the numbers signed up to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme to grow by a third over just 12 months.

It comes despite senior Liberal Democrats and Tories strongly condemning the scheme when in opposition. Under it, councils and private sector firms pay a few hundred pounds for accreditation by the local police force.

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