October 23, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 16,1423

LONDON, Oct 22: Britain’s prestigious Oxford University has announced the closure of its police force after almost 800 years in service.

One of Britain’s oldest forces, the “Bulldogs” were set up in 1215 to uphold discipline in and around university buildings and supervise exams and ceremonies — but have since become too expensive.

“It is difficult to justify spending public money when we have perfectly accredited security staff in the university,” Richard Hartley, Oxford University’s head of security, told AFP Tuesday.

A new law on private police forces adopted last July introduced requirements that have proved too costly for the university’s squad — which has just three full-time officers.

“The end did not justify the means,” said Hartley, adding that keeping the force would have imposed “huge bureaucracy” on the administration. “It’s the end of an era,” he added.

The decision to scrap the melon-hatted officers — who are to be re-hired as civilian staff — has been welcomed by students’ groups, which have long campaigned for the abolition of what they see as an outdated and intrusive feature of university life.—AFP