TWICE a year police officers from Peterborough undergo intensive training for what is perhaps the most terrifying scenario a bobby is likely to encounter – a full scale riot.

The sight of hundreds of angry protesters or hooligans screaming abuse and hurling bricks, bottles and other misssiles would turn the average person's blood cold.

And for that reason officers – male and female – are gathered at RAF Alconbury, near Huntingdon, to learn the skills and techniques of crowd control.

Riot scenarios are brought to life on a specially constructed "battlefield" made up of freight containers sited to create streets and alleyways, with college students drafted in to act.

After undergoing four days of intensive training, they are subjected to mock attacks and are put under extreme provocation to test how they react and perform under pressure.

Cambridgeshire police chief inspector Gary Martin, who oversees the training, said the skills learned here mean officers can be called out to help with any type of public disorder in the country.

He said: "Officers have to retrain every year over four days and we alternate the training scenarios every year. For instance, when the G8 summit was on we looked at dealing with violent demonstrations from protesters.