SHOPPERS at a major retail park found themselves surrounded by dozens of uniformed police officers yesterday.

But there was no cause for alarm. The bobbies on patrol in Dalton Park, in Murton, were taking part in a day-long exercise as part of their initial training.

During the exercise, experienced officers put 32 probationer constables through their paces in a range of scenarios.

Some of the rookies dealt with members of the public reporting lost or found property, while others tackled allegations of theft or shoplifting.

The PCs carried out stop-and-search procedures on training staff playing the part of suspects.

The recruits, from Durham and Northumbria forces, are 11 weeks into their training. Similar exercises are planned for later this year at other sites, both residential and commercial.

They are being co-ordinated by staff at the North-East Centre for Policing Skills (NECPS), a collaborative venture which handles the training of all recruits in Northumbria and Durham.

Chief Inspector Trevor Robinson, the Durham officer who is head of the NECPS centre, said: "We used to conduct these exercises at the former training school, but going to a public area makes the process much more realistic.''

Training delivery manager Inspector Bryan Arkle, from Northumbria, added: "We are very grateful for the help and co-operation from the management team at Dalton Park.''