Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell said boosting officer numbers was an essential part of rebuilding public trust after a series of setbacks.

Luke said low officer numbers had led to an overstretched service which did not meet many people’s expectations and had only added to a loss of confidence among members of the public.

And he backed calls by national chair Steve Hartshorn for a properly-resourced return to community policing.

Luke said: “My views on recruitment and retention are by now well-documented but I will say again that we cannot move forward as a service unless we have the people to do it and at the moment there is a staffing crisis at Hertfordshire Constabulary.

“Our members always do the very best they can but often feel they are being pulled from pillar to post. That has a detrimental impact on their wellbeing and can also affect their performance as police officers.”

He was speaking after Steve this week appeared before a Commons Home Affairs Select Committee session on policing priorities.

As part of his evidence, Steve was questioned about how  trust in the police service could be restored through a return to “common-sense policing” by Marco Longhi, Tory MP for Dudley North.

He told the committee: “I don’t think it will be a quick pathway to getting back confidence in policing. I think some of the steps of a practical nature are let’s get back to community-based policing, neighbourhood policing, putting police officers out there walking the beat.

“There was a tried and tested method and it perhaps harks back to the ‘good old days’ of Dixon of Dock Green and that was the best option.”

Steve acknowledged demands on policing had changed significantly but said there was still room for community policing.

He said: “The only time you see a police officer is when you need their help and you’ve dialled 999 or there has been a major incident. That needs to change. We need to be seen as part of the community.

“We need more numbers. With a population increase of four million people over the last 10 years, are 145,000 police enough to deal with it? I suggest it isn’t by the fact that we are failing the public. 

“We can’t give the service we want to because we are constantly responding rather than being proactive.”