THE Government's plans to reform the police service appeared to be in disarray last night after more than 10,000 officers descended on Parliament to protest about controversial reforms.

Off-duty officers from across the UK, including hundreds from the North, voiced their anger at plans by Home Secretary David Blunkett to slash overtime pay and introduce new community wardens with police-style powers.

At one point during the "bobby lobby", 4,500 officers joined a snaking queue outside the House of Commons waiting to see their MPs.

In the Commons, Prime Minister Tony Blair faced jeers as he claimed the vast majority of police officers agreed with many of the reforms the Government was trying to introduce.

Officers voiced their frustration with plans to cut the massive police overtime bill and "out-dated" allowances.

The mass demonstration was watched by bemused police officers from the Met called in to make sure the protests were peaceful.

Durham Police Federation chairman Terry Corrigan arrived with two coachloads, carrying 70 officers from the county.

He said that Home Secretary David Blunkett was trying to get policing on the cheap by creating a second tier police service with the community wardens plan.

"It won't work and I don't think the public will accept it. They should treat us like adults, not like schoolchildren," he said.

"We should be listened to and consulted - don't try and browbeat us."

Mr Corrigan said he was not satisfied with the meeting with local MPs Gerry Steinberg and Kevan Jones who, he said, did not understand what the job of a police officer entailed.

Mr Jones, MP for North Durham, said he agreed with many of their suggestions about cutting red tape and getting local officers back on the beat.

"But the Government is right to look at issues like their archaic pay arrangements," he said.

"It is clear that Mr Blunkett will have to sit down and talk with them, but doing nothing is not an option."

Cleveland Police Federation branch chairman Paul Rider said that giving community police officers powers to stop and detain suspects was a "recipe for disaster".

He said: "One of the first lessons you learn as a police officer in potential public order situations is you deal with it positively, make any arrests necessary, and then resume patrol so you don't inflame the situation.

"The fact that the Government want these people to be able to detain people for up to 30 minutes, perhaps awaiting the arrival of a constable, flies in the face of that."

But he said that there was a great deal of the Home Secretary's reforms that the police did support.

"I hope the Government do listen to police officers who have the knowledge and the experience and understanding of policing - that they take heed of our advice, and that we can sit down and put effective reform measures in place," he said.

In the Commons, Mr Blair said there was no question of Community Support Officers (CSOs) being imposed on police.

The Government said this was not a climb down, as it was always envisaged it would be up to chief constables whether they use the CSOs, which are proposed in the Police Reform Bill.

However he offered angry officers an olive branch in the form of a promise to consult over officers' concerns.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said after a meeting with Police Federation chairman Fred Broughton: "I want a modernised pay and conditions package for police officers, which will leave the vast majority of police officers better off, over a period of time."