THREE-wheel 'crime fighting' tuk-tuks rolled out by police four years ago have been sold as surplus to requirements for less than a fifth of their original price.

Amid a wave of publicity and some bemusement, Gwent Police wheeled out four of the electric-powered rickshaws with a top speed of 34mph after splashing out £34,300, basing two in Abergavenny and two in Newport.

Although used by cops in predominantly Asian countries as a means of getting around on packed streets, the local tuk-tuks – branded an “embarrassment” and “ridiculous” by some online pundits – were withdrawn from service within two years.

And a Freedom of Information request revealed by BBC Wales has now shown they were resold for just £5,950 in total, which police say has been reinvested in the Home Office’s ‘Safer Streets’ scheme.

The machines were originally funded by Safer Streets, a grant fund that supports forces in tackling neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

The aim announced at the time was to use them to patrol parks, walkways and other public spaces, and provide ‘safe spaces’ where people could obtain crime prevention advice, report incidents to officers and seek help if feeling unsafe.

A joint council and police report described them as a 'novelty' which would be used to deliver “high visibility reassurance patrols to make residents and visitors feel safer walking around”.

Chief Inspector Damian Sowrey said when they were rolled out in October 2022: "They were on show at our Behind the Badge day, giving local residents the opportunity to see them up close and to hear more about how they will be used.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with parents telling officers that they would feel safer knowing that there was support for young people out at night, and from women who could think of an occasion when the tuk-tuk would have been a welcome sight."

But BBC Wales have now reported that they were withdrawn from service within two years and then sold for a fraction of their original price.

A Gwent Police spokesperson told the BBC: "The intention behind the purchase of these vehicles was to boost public safety, especially within the night-time economy settings of Abergavenny and Newport in an engaging and different way for our communities.

"While the eventual sale price was lower than anticipated, it was outside of our control as to how much money could be recouped from the sale of these vehicles, which many people who have attempted to sell a vehicle which is no longer required will recognise."

A spokesperson for the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said the withdrawal and sale was an operational matter for the force, adding that the decision to sell the tuk-tuks was taken before the current Gwent PCC's election in May 2024.

There were plenty of raised eyebrows from bemused residents when they were rolled out, with posts on Abergavenny Voice Facebook page querying whether it was April 1, and one saying: “Could things get any crazier?.. Real life PC Plods in Toytown!”