Suffolk Police officer recruits will expand force to 1,400

Forces in England and Wales had lost more than 20,000 officers between 2009 and 2017

A police force is to recruit 72 officers, taking its roll call to its highest level in at least 12 years.

Suffolk Police is expected to have more than 1,400 officers by March 2023, as part of a government drive to boost numbers nationally.

A meeting of the police and crime panel at the county council heard the impact it had had in Suffolk.

Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said 72 officers was a "pretty big jump" from last year's 53.

In 2019, Boris Johnson announced an additional 20,000 additional officers in England and Wales between 2020 and 2023, following a loss of officers in the previous decade, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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According to the Home Office, Suffolk Police had 1,246 officers in March 2010.

"I am able to say with absolute confidence there will be more than 1,400 full-time equivalent officers employed by Suffolk Constabulary by March next year," Mr Passmore said.

"We are well on the way to doing that and the recruitment has been going very well indeed."

It had not yet been confirmed where the extra officers would be deployed.