IT has been labelled a return to the era of Dixon of Dock Green. Now a bureaucracy-busting revolution is winning favour with the West Midlands public.

Under a pilot scheme, thousands of low-level crimes in the West Midlands are being dealt with by way of written apologies and financial reparations instead of charges or cautions.

The ad hoc community resolutions encourage officers to use common sense when dealing with minor crimes and the penalties brokered by officers are boosting victim satisfaction with the criminal justice system.

The scheme is estimated to have already saved £1.5 million in officer hours and time saved in the criminal justice system.

Previously, a minor assault involving a teenager pushing another would have generated a crime report, investigation and a possible arrest.

Under the new scheme, officers have the powers to deal with the incident in a more straightforward way.

Since April more than 7,000 victims of crime have reaped the benefits.

Police said the initiative had given back professional discretion to beat bobbies to deal with low-level incidents informally where the offender admits guilt.

It also helped keep officers out on the streets where the public wanted to see them.

However, Birmingham Law Society has criticised community resolutions, claiming there was a “lack of transparency” to a punishment that happened outside the public gaze.

West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims said: “The criminal justice system belongs in a domain of serious crime. We do it no favours if we clutter it up with things that are better dealt with by other means.”

He added: “The offender is getting a moral clip round the ear and there is an outcome which has real impact on him.

“This outcome is more bespoke, thoughtful, targeted and relevant to the offender and the victim.”