[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/london/3010311.stm[/url]

[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39192000/jpg/_39192431_toy_policeman300.jpg[/img]

[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39192000/jpg/_39192437_toy_policeman203jpg.jpg[/img]

Met reveals new riot cop

The Metropolitan Police has made major exception to its height rule for joining the force by allowing a recruit that is just 12ins tall.

Public Order Police Constable SO 595 is Scotland Yard's latest weapon in fighting crime.

The male action figure is equipped with telescopic truncheon, riot shield and handcuffs and is Scotland Yard's latest attempt to sell itself to the public.

Children can dress him up in a flak jacket, boots, helmet, watch gloves, fire extinguisher, radio and loud hailer. And he will soon be joined by a whole range of colleagues.

In the pipe line is a female police sergeant, a police van, a police helicopter and a police air observer.

And to make sure traffic runs smoothly in Toyland, there are also plans for a toy traffic police sergeant.

Scotland Yard is licensing a range of products in partnership with FremantleMedia - producers of The Bill television series - and some of the profits will be made available for anti-crime initiatives, such as the Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The agreements are subject to standard royalty rates and subject to the take-up of the product.

"All revenues will be recycled into suitable Met police service activities."

The spokesman said it is looking at other ways of exploiting its famous name.

Corgi cop cars

It already has a deal signed with Corgi to make toy police cars.

It has also been reported that the force is also considering opening a tourist shop selling Scotland Yard memorabilia close to its London headquarters or at Heathrow Airport.

And in March the Met said it was going to sell its backlog of CCTV footage, such as car chases and the Millennium Dome robbery recordings, to production companies to raise about £1m for crime-fighting schemes.

Current legislation allows any force to make up to 1% of the annual budget through sponsorship, which in the Met's case is £20m.

Cool.
Back home, the cops have trading cards of themselves.