Each night as I go to sleep behind my locked doors, I pray that the men and women we've entrusted with our protection will keep me safe through the night, so I can rest in the blissful ignorance that comes with feeling secure. And now, thanks to political correctness, that security is all but assured for Londoners....

Sir Ian Blair's force is spending 15,000[pounds sterling] of public money creating "ethnically diverse" police mascots after one officer complained that the original white male model was alienating women and ethnic minority staff.

Scotland Yard approved the cost for creating a cast of four police figures including an Asian female community support officer called Sunita.

Sir Ian said: "These characters will be more representative of London's population and the diverse range of police personnel.

"The choice of characters will allow the concept of a Safer Neighbourhoods team to be presented to young children as well as delivering an important message about the different roles of PCSOs and constables."

The project has now been renamed "Police Pals" and police officer versions of the costumes will also be made.

The 12 new costumes - four for each character - include PCSO Steve, an Asian woman PCSO named Sunita, and a man and a woman police constable. They are expected to be ready early next year.

The 15,000[pounds sterling] bill includes 600[pounds sterling] in design costs and 14,400[pounds sterling] for the creation of four suits for each of the three characters.

Sir Ian has striven to make the Met more ethnically diverse.

In the month he started as Commissioner in February 2005, the Oxford English graduate replaced the phrase "visible ethnic minority" with "minority group".

Last year, he asked his officers to declare whether they are homosexual, a first step to setting up quotas for numbers of gay and lesbian officers.

Sleep in peace, London. The PC Police have your back.

Labels: Diversity, Police, Political Correctness