MORE than 30 much-needed bobbies are set to pound the district beat.

The area has received a major boost in West Mercia Police's biggest ever recruitment drive.

The force, which has one of the lowest police-to-population ratios in the country, aims to recruit 300 extra officers in the coming year.

And more than 30 will be drafted into the Kidderminster division to give the current 150-strong force a massive fillip.

It follows public demand for more bobbies on the beat.

Chief Insp Steve Pooler, of Kidderminster Police, said: "We have already commenced our planning to determine the most appropriate places to deploy these new officers.

"The public can be reassured that the new officers will be deployed to front line policing in direct contact with the communities we serve."

The division will also benefit from 68 new officers joining crime teams to improve the detection rate for offences and reduce the number of officers taken off the division during major inquiries.

Police Authority chairman Brian Watkins said: "A recent public survey clearly showed that members of the communities served by West Mercia Constabulary were willing to pay for more officers on the beat.

"The recruitment of such large numbers provides a major challenge for the constabulary but the force is now pulling out all the stops to ensure that extra uniformed presence is in place as quickly as possible."

The authority has launched the recruitment after deciding to set this year's budget at £144.4 million.

The 33.1 per cent increase is the equivalent of an extra 50p per week for the average Band D council tax payer.

A public survey commissioned by the force said more than 70 per cent of people quizzed were prepared to pay more for extra police.