Your article, New Chapter (Oxford Mail, April 10), about civilian PCSOs patrolling Oxford University, was inaccurate and misleading.

The University Police, or University Constables (popularly known as 'Bulldogs'), were the private police force of Oxford University between 1829 and 2003.

They carried warrant cards and were empowered to act as police officers within the university precincts and within four miles of any university building.

From 2001, the force existed as a private constabulary (a non-Home Office police force), with 40 sworn constables.

After a review by the University Council in 2003, the University Police were disbanded as it was considered too expensive to bring the force up to the required standard of training and to implement a multi-tiered complaints procedure.

They had additional powers, including the authority to ban a person from within three miles of Carfax - your original Asbo?

They were the original poice force for Oxford, until the formation of Oxford City Police.

Your statement that the PCSOs "will take up their duties on April 21, making them the University's first police officers in its 900-year history", is wrong on all counts.

The University Police were a real police force, with warranted police constables, and PCSOs are not police officers - they have no warrant card and are civilian employees of the council and Thames Valley Police.

The article should have read: "For the first time since 1829, Oxford University has no police force, only civilian security and civilian PCSOs."

There appears to be a trend, the media referring to PCSOs as cops - is this an acronym, as in the Police Academy series, for 'Citizens on Patrol'? PCSOs now have traffic under their title - is this a further acronym for 'The Real Article Finally Faded Into Civilians'?

DEREK SMITH London Road Headington Oxford