Fancy a night in the cells? Police looking for volunteers

But police bosses are hoping to recruit volunteers to spend time behind bars.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson is looking to recruit people from Wolverhampton and Oldbury to visit the force's custody suite.

Custody visitors are a team of people who ensure that those in police custody are being treated properly and fairly.

The PCC says the scheme is running well but requires more volunteers to look at cells in Wolverhampton, Oldbury, Perry Barr and Coventry.

Mr Jamieson said: “Custody visiting is very much an unsung community service which safeguards both the detainee and the police.

“It's also a highly responsible and privileged role, in that very few members of the public have access to the custody blocks.

“Thanks to our dedicated group of custody visitors, the public can have the reassurance that the force is upholding the high standards we expect from them.”

The scheme was introduced after the 1981 Brixton riots, with the aim of increasing public confidence in the police, providing transparency into what happens in police stations and making sure that suspects' treatment is appropriate.

To qualify as a custody visitor, volunteers should be over 18-years-old, of good character and have no police or legal links. They also need to be able to make independent observations and also have spare time, as volunteers are asked to commit to one visit, which last about two hours on average, every month.

Once trained, the volunteers – who are unpaid but are able to claim reasonable expenses for travel – visit police custody suites unannounced and in pairs.

Each year nearly 100 volunteers make over 2,500 visits to detainees.

For more details go to www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/your-commissioner/custodyvisiting