The vehicles replace the three-wheel motorbikes previously used in the city and were chosen for the agility, spaciousness and reliability.

The vehicles have been liveried in white and blue and kitted out with bespoke equipment including a blue revolving roof lamp and police radio equipment. 

Officer Ralph Jefferson, who took receipt of one of the first smart fortwos and drives it around Chinatown, said: “The smart is spacious and agile and makes my job much easier. Many people say that the little patrol cars are really cute, too.”