Trevor Philpott reports

He may seem not much more than a boy. A few weeks ago he may have been a lorry driver, a brick-layer's mate or an invoice clerk. But if he's wearing the helmet and the uniform you expect him to know the answers - to take control - whether it's a brawl or a snatched handbag, a fatal accident or a murder.

What kind of men are they who want to become policemen? What training do they get? What conditioning do they go through? Just how wonderful can we expect our policemen to be?

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