Police photographs in London from the 1950s

Fascinating vintage photos show overstretched London police officers dealing with a raft of crimes, lost children and misdemeanours in the mid-fifties.

The incredible shots depict a policeman attempting to calm down a distraught little boy, a woman who looks worse for wear being led to safety by kindly officers, and a thief being bundled into his cell by a stout warden.

In 1954, when the photos were taken, London's Police force was 4,000 constables under strength of its 20,000 target.

The famous bobbies had to cope with a maze of problems including traffic duties, dealing with roaring drunks, lost people including children, attempted suicides, violent robbery and murder. Despite the enormous pressures they faced, in 1953 the number of serious crimes reduced by nine per cent.

The London copper - rushed off his booted feet and complete with helmet - coped remarkably well but senior staff are aware that policing had to become a more enticing prospect if they were to restore the necessary number of staff.

It is a scenario which will be familiar to many of today's modern police forces after budget cuts since 2010 have seen more than 20,000 police officers taken off the streets.

London City Hall announced last year that Government cuts to policing have led officer numbers in London to drop to their lowest level per head in 20 years.

Wonderful vintage photographs of London's police in 1954 have emerged. Above, two officers help a young woman who is unsteady on her feet. A milestone for women had been reached at the tail-end of the previous decade - when Elizabeth Bather became the first female Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police in 1949

Wonderful vintage photographs of London's police in 1954 have emerged. Above, two officers help a young woman who is unsteady on her feet. A milestone for women had been reached at the tail-end of the previous decade - when Elizabeth Bather became the first female Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police in 1949

In 1954, the Met suffered serious understaffing problems with a force of only 16,000. It needed an estimated 4,000 men, mainly police constables. In the Fifties, Met Police cadets were trained at Hendon Police College, in north-west London. (Above, the two officers continue to assist the woman)

In 1954, the Met suffered serious understaffing problems with a force of only 16,000. It needed an estimated 4,000 men, mainly police constables. In the Fifties, Met Police cadets were trained at Hendon Police College, in north-west London. (Above, the two officers continue to assist the woman) 

A policewoman watches as a thief is searched for incriminating tools. All his possessions are taken from him. Despite the enormous pressures they faced, in 1953 the number of serious crimes had reduced by nine per cent. The spectre of the Second World War still loomed large - and meat, butter, cheese, sugar and sweets were all still rationed that year

A policewoman watches as a thief is searched for incriminating tools. All his possessions are taken from him. Despite the enormous pressures they faced, in 1953 the number of serious crimes had reduced by nine per cent. The spectre of the Second World War still loomed large - and meat, butter, cheese, sugar and sweets were all still rationed that year

The thief is placed in a cell, where he will spend the night. According to a shocking poll conducted by the Daily Mail last year, the majority of Britons say the police have now lost control of the streets - 57 per cent of people say officers have surrendered control of our neighbourhoods and criminals have no fear of being caught

The thief is placed in a cell, where he will spend the night. According to a shocking poll conducted by the Daily Mail last year, the majority of Britons say the police have now lost control of the streets - 57 per cent of people say officers have surrendered control of our neighbourhoods and criminals have no fear of being caught

The thief looks, not surprisingly, depressed by his surroundings

He hands a drink he'd been given back to the officer

Not surprisingly, the thief looks depressed by his surroundings. The overstretched bobbies of the time would have also had their work cut out for them with incidents of road fatalities, drunks, domestic disputes, murders and suicides

The thief has his fingerprints taken. A landmark case in forensic science for the Met Police was in 1905 - when fingerprint evidence was used to help convict brothers Alfred and Albert Stratton of bludgeoning Thomas Farrow, 71, to death during a break-in at his paint suppliers in Deptford, South East London, in February that year. It was the first time British murderers had been convicted using such a method

The thief has his fingerprints taken. A landmark case in forensic science for the Met Police was in 1905 - when fingerprint evidence was used to help convict brothers Alfred and Albert Stratton of bludgeoning Thomas Farrow, 71, to death during a break-in at his paint suppliers in Deptford, South East London, in

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