Staffordshire Police is in the process of hiring hundreds of new officers thanks to the provision of additional funding.

The force has welcomed 260 new officers since April 2019, and it's anticipated that a further 178 officers will be sworn in by the end of March 2021.

The funding has been provided the national uplift programme which was announced last year, allowing the force to accelerate existing recruitment plans, which were also bolstered by additional investment in council tax precept funding.

The recruitment drive should lead to an overall increase in police numbers once officers who leave or retire are taken into account.

The news comes after the Home Office released new figures yesterday (Thursday) about the number of officers recruited nationwide (up to June 2020) since targets were set. The targets should see the recruitment of 20,000 officers by 2023 across England and Wales.

Justine Kenny, Director of People and Resources at Staffordshire Police, said: "Since last April we've welcomed 260 new officers from all different backgrounds into force to help us improve service and outcomes for local communities.

"Our regional partnership with Staffordshire University continues to support two entry routes into policing; working as an officer and gaining a degree as part of the training (Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship) or joining as a police constable or detective constable with existing degree-level qualifications (Degree Holder Entry Programme).

"During the coronavirus pandemic we continued to recruit with adapted processes in place so that the application process and training courses adhered to guidelines.

"At this time we have sufficient candidates to fulfil our target numbers until April 2021 so we have temporarily closed applications but will reopen later this year."