SWINDON police say new powers of arrest will be a vital tool in the fight against crime.

The Home Office is proposing that all offences be made arrestable.

As the law currently stands, police can only make an arrest where the crime carries a maximum penalty of five years.

But the situation is complicated by a number of exemptions introduced in recent years.

A radical overhaul is outlined in a consultation document published yesterday by Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Current non-arrestable offences include impersonating a police officer, failing to stop a vehicle when ordered to do so and manufacturing or selling an offensive weapon.

The paper says the plans would clarify rules which are currently complex and often bewildering.

Wiltshire Police spokeswoman Jacqueline Broadbridge said: "We hope that by having a full range of powers available to us we can deal more effectively with anti-social behaviour, be one step ahead of the criminal and continue to keep Wiltshire safe.

"The consultation paper, which covers a range of offences and powers, will be looked at in more detail and we will respond in due course, prior to the October deadline."

The Home Office says the proposals would not mean police could make arrests willy-nilly.

Strict guidelines would be put in place to guide officers.

However, civil rights group Liberty condemned the plans, saying they could lead to people being arrested for dropping litter.

But police Minister Hazel Blears said: "We need to maintain the crucial balance between the powers of the police and the rights of the individual but we also need to make sure the police and other investigative agencies have the powers they need to tackle crime."

The paper also paves the way for more Community Support Officers.

These are opposed by many rank-and-file officers but have been welcomed by Swindon police, which has seven officers.

CSOs could be given powers to direct traffic, tackle beggars, search people for weapons and enforce by-laws, allowing officers to concentrate on front-line duties.

The paper also proposes giving CSOs the power to deal with drunks and under-age drinkers.

In another major proposal, officers could be given new powers to fingerprint and photograph suspects at any time, rather than only at police stations as they can now.

To crack down on drug dealers, it suggests allowing police to X-ray suspects without their consent to spot packets of drugs which have been swallowed.

It also proposed a significant reform of search warrants, which are currently linked to specific addresses and expire after a certain period.

The paper suggests warrants should apply to an individual so officers could search any premises occupied by that person.

Tamash Lal