(Wed 15 Jul 09)

smart and Kia have both recently supplied police forces with cars which are certain to attract second glances from onlookers. smart loaned a fortwo to Tayside Police for last weekend's T in the Park music festival in eastern Scotland, where it was used to transport officers around various sites including the command centre, the briefing room and the lost property office.

"The fuel consumption and carbon footprint of vehicles is now high on the agenda of every police force in the country," says Graham Strachan, Fleet Manager for Tayside Police. "smart's reputation for economy and low emissions is well-known so it was perfect for us to evaluate it at T in the Park. With its police livery, the car became even more of a focal point and an excellent means of maintaining our presence throughout the festival."

The smart will now be loaned to the Lothian & Borders, Strathclyde, Fife and Central Scotland forces for evaluation before returning to Tayside for further testing in urban surroundings.

Further south, the Toll House Kia dealership has loaned a Soul Shaker (identical, apart from the livery, to our current long-term test car) to Sussex Police, whose Police Community Support Officers team will be using it for their street briefings and for the "general safe-keeping" of communities in the Horsham South area.

"Our PCSOs do a fantastic job of keeping a consistent police presence within our local communities and the Soul heightens that awareness," says Inspector Paul Williams. "Working in partnership with our community ensures that Horsham South remains a safe place in which to live and work. The car will soon become a familiar sight in and around the area, being used by local officers in their day-to-day business."

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