POLICE are patrolling in more than 1,500 cars which are at least ten years old, figures show.
Five forces have vehicles which are more than 20 years old, with one from 1986.
The revelations have prompted claims that forces are starved of resources for basic equipment.
Alistair Carmichael, home affairs spokesman for the Lib Dems, who uncovered the figures, said: “When the vehicle from 1986 was registered, Google was a decade away. How can a car past its prime be reliable in an emergency?”
The news conjures up images of the Seventies Cortina driven by TV cop Gene Hunt in BBC drama Life on Mars.
The figures are from 28 police forces in England, Wales and Scotland which answered Freedom of Information requests.
READ MORE ON POLICE
Avon and Somerset, Suffolk, Police Scotland and Hertfordshire had the 20-year-old cars, and the 1986 car was in West Yorkshire.
While 14 per cent of Avon and Somserset cars were a decade old, the figure was one per cent in Surrey.
Mr Carmichael said: “Police need to maximise resources but fleets can’t cut corners.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jqecsKtfZ315gpVraGlnk5a%2Fbq%2FRoqqiq12lvK21wp5knJmiqHq1sc1msJ6Zoqh6sLjDaA%3D%3D