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The Daily Mail's Chris Brooke reports the use of volunteers to help with murder enquiries, highlighting the demand for skills in police forces... while critics seize on the move as another example of under-funded public service.

The amateur sleuth is a feature of many a detective story.

But one cash-strapped police force is turning fiction into reality by advertising for would-be Miss Marples to help its murder squad.

The unpaid detectives will make door-to-door inquiries, read documents in search of clues, check statements and transport evidence from crime scenes.

West Yorkshire Police is to recruit up to 60 members of the public to join the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, which deals with murders, rapes and armed robberies.

Door to door enquiries: Amateur sleuths will get the chance to help the pros

Police chiefs have denied the controversial move is linked to the need to slash costs because of a projected £15million budget shortfall for the next two years, but the announcement was immediately condemned.

Forces across the country have increasingly used volunteers in recent years.

Special constables who help patrol town centres or police major public events are a familiar sight and volunteer staff carry out a range of tasks such as manning station front desks and liaising with the community.

However, police chiefs admit this scheme represents a significant new development.

Detective Chief Superintendent Max McLean, the head of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: 'We have had the concept of police volunteers for some time, but never have we involved them in homicide inquiries.

Volunteer sleuth: Miss Marple helped solve murders in the fictional Agatha Christie novels

'It is one of the most challenging areas of policing, dealing with some of the worst possible crimes.

'Volunteers will bring added value to the work carried out by the current team and will help us to engage with the communities that are affected by serious crime.'

Anyone over 18 from all backgrounds is welcome to apply. They must be of previous good character, they will be subject to standard vetting procedures and must accept a confidentiality agreement.

Travel and meal expenses will be reimbursed, but no other payments made.

Mr McLean said volunteers would not replace detectives, but work alongside them under their direction.

He added: 'This has nothing to do with the recession. I am looking for people with life experience who can bring extra skills and extra capacity to our team.'

But the scheme, which started recruiting this month, has been met with scepticism because of fears that it is a money-saving exercise.

Greg Mulholland, LibDem MP for Leeds North-West, said: 'The public have a right to expect that the most serious crimes will be investigated by fully trained officers with the experience of successfully solving crimes.

'The fact that forces like West Yorkshire are having to turn to volunteers is a damning indictment of the lack of funding reaching the front line to employ an adequate number of officers.'

In a reference to the Agatha Christie detective character, Mr Mulholland added: 'I am sure that the public would feel reassured knowing that crimes were being investigated by fully-trained police officers as opposed to relying on Miss Marple.'

Michael Downes, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, said: 'The real danger is that an unskilled person conducting any interviews may miss something that results in a crime remaining undetected or crucial evidence being lost.'