WYRE Forest will be given more police on the streets through a £2.9million West Mercia Police Authority drive to recruit more officers.

A total of 316 extra police staff positions, of which 300 will be community support officers, are to be filled across the force area by April, 2008 - at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Seventy-nine new police officer posts are being created to deal with serious and organised crime. They should be in place within a year.

Chief constable Paul West said: "This major investment in new posts will ensure that West Mercia Constabulary is even better positioned to provide a full range of effective and efficient policing services.

"We are already a top performing force and these additional posts will help us maintain that position."

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the West Mercia force because of proposals by Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, to merge it with its three neighbouring West Midlands forces.

West Mercia Police Authority's chairman, Paul Deneen, said it would not take its "eye off the ball" when it came to fighting crime and promised further investment.

He added: "A strategic West Mercia service remains our preferred option and we continue to look at all opportunities to challenge the accuracy of the Government's assessment and statistics within the "Closing the Gap" report."

For more information about the recruitment drive and current vacancies, visit the force's website at www.westmercia.police.uk