CAMBRIDGESHIRE Police were pilloried on BBC Television s satirical news programme, Have I Got News for You on Friday for the most pointless headline in history . The accolade was awarded by the Plain English Campaign. A newsletter sent to residents by th

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Police were pilloried on BBC Television's satirical news programme, Have I Got News for You on Friday for "the most pointless headline in history".

The accolade was awarded by the Plain English Campaign.

A newsletter sent to residents by the force was emblazoned with the words: "Police continue to target offenders."

And the release went on to say coppers were "cracking crime by action and analysis".

Language campaigner Marie Clair described both phrases as a "useless piece of non-information".

A member of the public contacted the Plain English Campaign about the Cambridgeshire Community Safety Partnership newsletter.

According to Ms Clair, the resident was left asking: "Why aren't you telling me something new?"

Ms Clair conceded that the publication did have some useful information but said poorly written newsletters risked alienating the public and could make people "cynical and suspicious" about the work of the police.

Her advice to Cambridgeshire Police is to proof read items in the future and use "common sense" to judge what they call news.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "The Plain English Campaign is entitled to its opinion.