People who moan that police officers are almost invisible these days will soon be unable to complain any more.

Sussex Police detectives are the first in Britain to wear jackets from the USA designed to make them look as conspicuous as possible.

Now the force is wearing New York-type jackets, perhaps it will also adopt many of the successful zero tolerance policies which have reduced crime in that city.

They include showing little mercy towards offences such as graffiti and vandalism, which in turn reduces the amount of violent crime.

Crime flourishes in dirty, unkempt streets where police officers are nowhere to be seen.

Villains think twice before committing offences in areas where people take a pride in their neighbourhoods and where police officers could be around every corner.

Thanks to the new jackets, they could be bamboozled into thinking there are more officers around than is really the case.

These jackets should help raise the police profile and give people more confidence in them.