Manchester police couldn’t stop the bike muggers. So we stepped in | Helen Pidd

Across the UK, others like us are taking action where a depleted police force cannot. Is this really how we want Britain to be?

If I am being perfectly honest, the austerity cuts haven't affected my life much over the past eight years. I've written about them so I know about the resurgence of rough sleepers, the proliferation of food banks, the increase in NHS waiting times and the closure of libraries and youth clubs.

But have they hurt me? Not really. My bins got collected a bit less frequently, it took even longer to get answers out of council press offices and everything seemed to grow a bit grubbier. I got angry at what was happening to others, sure. But for me, life essentially continued as before, just with a lower mortgage rate and a larger tax-free allowance from HMRC.

Related: The growth of private policing is eroding justice for all | John Harris

Related: Policing at 'tipping point' over budget cuts, warns police chief

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