Police have recruited just a fifth of the number of community support officers necessary for "proper coverage" of north Oxfordshire, according to Tony Baldry, Conservative MP for Banbury.

He told the House of Commons yesterday that "cumbersome" vetting rules and incomplete funding arrangements were frustrating plans to fight anti-social behaviour in the Cherwell district.

Community support officers are uniformed officers who support police in tackling public disorder.

Mr Baldry said: "Thames Valley Police estimate that over the next 18 months in my constituency they need to recruit somewhere between 26 and 32 community support officers to give proper coverage. So far they have recruited just six.

"There appear to be two problems vetting seems to be very cumbersome. Second is funding the Government is only funding 75 per cent of these posts, which means Thames Valley Police has to find 25 per cent from other Government programmes which doesn't seem particularly joined up.

"Horton Hospital is funding two of these community support officers. Between spin and reality lies frustration."

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker responded that vetting was important to ensure the "right calibre" of officers and said the Government was providing "significant" funding.