I present the following without further comment:
One of Britain's most senior police officers has admitted that his force is being overwhelmed by violent crime and cannot cope.
Steve Green, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, said that among the principal causes of the crisis were Government reforms that compelled him to use officers for clerical tasks instead of front-line duties.
The situation was so bad that he was preparing to "farm out" murder investigations to other police forces because his own detectives did not have time to tackle them.
Nottingham has been one of the worst affected areas for gun crime, which hit record levels across England and Wales last year.