BRITAIN'S first private police force will be rolled out nationally after securing 400 prosecutions and 100 per cent conviction rate, reports claim.

The My Local Bobby scheme, headed up by former Scotland Yard officers, is currently being trialled in London's upmarket Belgravia, Mayfair and Kensington neighbourhoods.

4 Private police officers at TM Eye, who run the My Local Bobby scheme, have secured more than 400 prosecutions Credit: Georgie Gillard/Daily Mail

For up to £200-a-month clients are given a direct hotline to a local officer, covering up to 250 houses, who they can track on an iPad.

TM Eye, the firm behind the service, is believed to have brought more private convictions than any other organisation except for the RSPCA, the Daily Mail reported.

In two years, the company has successfully convicted more than 400 criminals for fraud, intellectual property theft and other offences.

Demand for the officers has soared, according to co-founder David McKelvey, a former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector.

4 For up to £200-a-month clients are given a direct hotline to their My Local Bobby officer

He told the Guardian: "You don’t see policemen walk around the streets any more. If you call 101 it’s a 30-minute wait and it is not a police officer who answers.

"My Local Bobby is basically taking things back to Dixon of Dock Green-style policing."

It is staffed by retired detectives and experts from Scotland Yard, the National Crime Agency and GCHQ.

The company has reportedly looked at three murder cases cops were unable to solve - and helped with rape, missing persons, burglary, theft, stalking and blackmailing incidents.

4 My Local Bobby was started by former senior officers at Scotland Yard Credit: Getty - Contributor

Police forces are becoming increasingly stretched and say they no longer have the money to investigate some crimes such as shoplifting.

But it is feared private policing will see only the rich get protection from private officers, the newspaper reports.

Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh said: "Eventually there will be a two-tier system with the haves and the have-nots, and if you have money and live in a £20million house in Chelsea you can pay for private security.

"My concern would be, where is the public scrutiny if it goes wrong? If they are allowed to go and do the police’s job for them, that is a dangerous status quo."

4 Police officers have become a rarer sight on the roads of England and Wales Credit: AFP or licensors

Figures show the firm has 36 criminal cases currently awaiting a result at UK courts, and they are working on 60 further investigations in London, Cheshire, Dorset, Avon and Somerset and Essex.

In just six months, investigators caught suspects wanted for attempted murder and rape - and smashed a major counterfeit goods gang using undercover operatives.

TM Eye doesn't charge for investigative services but recoups costs from the courts if offenders are convicted.

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The firm’s managing director David McKelvey, a retired Scotland Yard detective chief inspector, said: "We probably do more undercover work than any other law enforcement agency.

"We have a better surveillance capability and equipment than most forces.

"It’s about catching the bad guys and protecting the public, and we can help with that.

"Police are on their knees, sick to the teeth with what is going on in their job. The bottom line is we have better uniforms, better pay and better support at work. It’s a huge growth industry."

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