Gloucestershire twins join Met Police together

Leigha and Ria Ravalia are working with the Met's neighbourhood teams

Identical twin sisters have spoken of their pride about joining the Metropolitan Police together.

Leigha and Ria Ravalia read criminology at the University of Gloucestershire and are working for the force's neighbourhood policing teams.

Ria said joining the Met, which the pair did via the Police Now graduate recruitment scheme, had been a "dream" of theirs.

"I'm not sure either of us really expected it to happen," she added.

The identical twins studied criminology at the University of Gloucestershire

The sisters, aged 22 and from Silverstone, have completed their academy training and are working as police constables in neighbourhood policing teams - Leigha in Mile End and Ria in Spitalfields.

"We both had an interest in the criminal sector, but hadn't always been set on joining the police," said Ria.

"It had always felt like a bit of a pipe dream to work for the Met.

"The more we went through the... process the more we realised it's something we both really wanted," said Ria.

'So scared'

Leigha said: "Though we are a little sad to be splitting up, at least people in the community won't get us mixed up."

Leigha said her police work so far had included drug crime and she made her first arrest on suspicion of common assault after responding to a report of domestic abuse.

"It was a difficult day, one of the very young children in the house clung on to my leg when I arrived as he was so scared.

"It's a tough job but I was able to go home knowing I had helped protect a vulnerable family."

Police Now is an independent social enterprise, working in partnership with the Home Office and police forces across England and Wales to recruit officers.