Police under strain
PUBLIC confidence in the police has been “severely dented” as forces struggle to deliver an effective service, a Commons committee has warned.
It is taking longer to charge suspects, fewer arrests are being made and neighbourhood presences have been stripped back, MPs said.
Falls in funding and staffing levels have left constabularies under “increasing strain”, according to the worrying report from the Public Accounts Committee. THE QUEEN was impressed by the views from the 10th floor of a finance company’s building she opened in the City of London yesterday – and joked that they would distract its staff.
Landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin skyscraper and the London Eye could be clearly seen from the lofty heights of the Schroders building at 1 London Wall Place.
Richard Beastall, a partner with architects TP Bennett, who led the team which designed the building’s interior, told the Queen that all the meeting rooms were at the top to take advantage of the “great views”.
The royal visitor made those around her laugh when she quipped: “Quite difficult to concentrate – always looking out the window.”
During the visit, the Queen formally opened the building, which is the new headquarters of Schroders, a global investment management company founded more than 200 years ago.
The Queen was intrigued by the hi-tech lifts, where the floor number had to be tapped into a keypad before entering, as there were no number buttons inside. While chatting to one group, she joked about it, saying “They’ve got no buttons” but “I got here”.