£50k investment in West Mercia Police e-bikes

Almost £50,000 will be invested in the bikes

Almost £50,000 is to be invested in e-bikes for a police force.

West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said the bikes would help officers cover longer distances.

A mix of off-road and hybrid bikes would also help the force reach the most rural of communities across the counties of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, he added.

Mr Campion said it was in response to residents' calls for visible officers.

John Campion says the bikes will help meet community calls for police officers to be 'visible and accessible'

"Officers on bikes have been a traditional part of policing for many years, but by investing in more modern improvements to this, [it] allows officers to cover vast distances of communities quickly as needed, engaging with the public, with the added benefit of reducing the environmental impact" Mr Campion said.

West Mercia's Ch Supt Paul Moxley said: "These are a really welcomed addition to complement our current fleet and will add an extra dimension to our ability to get to our more rural communities.

"Our Safer Neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs will be able to make great use of these new bikes and we're pleased that we will be able to extend our reach, increase our visibility and make a small but important step to reducing the environmental impact of our fleet."