A shortage of squad cars in the South West may result in police community support officers (PCSOs) patrolling in postal vans or a mobile library.

Supt John Green, head of partnership policing in Cornwall, said it was proving hard to match transport to PCSOs numbers planned for next year.

Staff have come up with alternatives such as travelling with postal vans.

Supt Green said: "If there are already vehicles there to get them on their beat, they could be used."

He said: "The mobile library could be looked at as a good use of public money.

"You get books into the community and the PCSO can jump off and go round their beat.

"We don't want them driving, we have cops to do that, we want them on foot in their communities."

The force set a target of 356 support officers on patrol by March 2008.

Eh? Dozens of Police cars sat unused everyday at Truro Police station for starters.