THE five-year milestone of the Blair administration is little over a month away and the pressure is undoubtedly mounting.

The May 1 anniversary will present a mid-term opportunity for the country to reflect on New Labour's performance and, for many, the conclusion will be that initial optimism is giving way to an increasing sense of frustration and disappointment.

On top of mounting concern about public services, signs of industrial unrest, and the damaging spin factor, police officers delivered another worrying message to the Government yesterday.

When 10,000 rank and file police officers from across the country descend on Parliament to protest about proposed changes to the service, the Government should sit up and take notice.

What is particularly alarming is the obvious confusion which exists between ministers and police officers over the planned reforms, such as the introduction of new community wardens with police-style powers.

''We don't understand how it's going to work, we don't understand how it's going to benefit a criminal justice system that is struggling to deliver justice. We don't understand how accountability will work or how it will make for less bureaucracy," lamented Police Federation chairman Fred Broughton.

Home Secretary David Blunkett, faced with mounting public concern over street crime, has an urgent responsibility to spell out to the country's law-enforcers precisely how the reforms are meant to operate.

And, above all, he must convince Britain's police officers that he and his colleagues in Government have listened very carefully to the concerns which were outlined so forcibly yesterday.

While it may not yet be a case of "Mayday, Mayday" for the Government, the distress signals are certainly getting louder.

Unease about the Government and its ability to deliver was evident at the time of the last General Election but not translated into votes because of the lack of a plausible alternative.

If only the Government's discomfort coincided with signs that the Opposition was growing in stature, democracy might seem to be in a healthier state.