MORE than 170 police officers have been recruited to West Mercia Police, over the last three years, the latest data shows.

In total, 174 officers have been recruited to the force as the Government pledges to put 20,000 new officers on the streets nationwide by March next year.

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Since the recruitment drive was launched in 2019, the 43 police forces across England and Wales have seen an additional 13,790 police officers recruited, putting the Government on track to deliver on its manifesto promise.

The officers for West Mercia have been recruited since September 2019, bringing the total number of officers up to 2,338.

Across the 43 police forces, an additional 13,790 officers have been recruited, bringing the total number of police officers in England and Wales to 142,759.

More than four in ten new recruits since April 2020 are female and nearly 12 per cent of new recruits identify as belonging to a Black, Asian, Mixed or other minority ethnic group.

In the past year, police in England and Wales have removed 16,000 dangerous weapons from our streets through stop and search, disrupted over 600 organised crime groups, and made over 8,000 arrests as a result of a national crackdown on County Lines drug dealing.

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: “From working with our local police force, I know just how valuable 174 more police officers will be in helping crack down on crime in our local community.

“The 174 additional recruits mean there are now 2338 police officers in West Mercia, helping to pursue criminals, keep neighbourhoods safe, and reassure the law-abiding majority. I liaise with our Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion regularly and am keen to ensure Worcester sees the benefit of more officers on the beat."

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We promised the British public 20,000 more police before March 2023 and that is what we are delivering. The total number of officers is now already at a 10 year high, with thousands more still on the way to protect the public from harm."