A NEW drive to recruit more police officers across county has been welcomed by councillors and politicians.

The campaign is aimed at welcoming around 50 new police officers into Gloucestershire Constabulary’s ranks between October 2017 and March 2018.

These new constables are part of long-term plans to stall the fall in police numbers and help grow force back up to 1,075.

Over the last two years the number of full time officers in Gloucestershire has dropped by 10 per cent to just 1028 in January 2017.

In March 2015 that figure stood at 1136 – meaning that in the last two years an average of five officers have been leaving the constabulary every month.

Now the force says it wants to show its “commitment to ensuring there are enough officers to fulfil its responsibilities to the communities” it serves.

A number of these new bobbies would be stationed throughout the Five Valleys and help bolster numbers at Stroud Police Station.

Deputy Chief Constable Rod Hansen said: "Ours is a proud Constabulary with a good reputation, good people and real ambition.

“Those we seek and those we choose will demonstrably have the qualities and character that we believe will enhance our standing.

“Appointing the right individuals to the office of constable is essential in helping us to achieve our vision and ambitions for the future.”

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The announcement was welcomed by Glen Gogerly, the UKIP Gloucestershire County Council candidate for Stonehouse.

Over the last few weeks he has been pushing for greater police presence in the town and has expressed the fears of some residents that they felt "abandoned" by the Constabulary.

“I welcome this new recruitment drive by Gloucestershire Constabulary which will have a direct and positive effect on communities throughout Gloucestershire,” he said.

“As we have seen recently there have been many incidents in the Stonehouse division including the terrible attack on the 15-year-old girl on Ebley Road.

“I think the creation of further employment for Gloucestershire to be very positive for the county and will also help to boost the morale of our hardworking police officers.”

Lesley Williams, Labour county councillor for Stonehouse said she hoped the new officers would be able to spend more time patrolling the streets rather than stuck behind desks.

“I am happy to hear that the police will be recruiting again,” she said. “This not only gives a boost to the area but it also means that local people will be able to get involved with their police force.

“The Gloucestershire Constabulary do a fantastic job, and I think this is a good move. I look forward to helping promote this in Stonehouse so we can make sure the force is well represented.

“Cuts to police numbers in recent years have meant that residents have felt unsafe, and crime has risen in some places. I hope that these new officers will be able to spend more time patrolling our streets and not stuck behind desks.”

Cllr Roger Wilson, Conservative chairman of the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel, also welcomed the “small increase”.

“I welcome any recruitment of police in Gloucestershire,” he said. “Across the country we’re seeing a continuing reduction in crime, which is great news. “Hopefully this small increase in Gloucestershire-based constables will help us continue that success in our county.”

The recruitment campaign starts next Monday January 16. All the relevant information about the police officer recruitment campaign is available on the Constabulary website at goo.gl/NdhVd1 Recruitment opens at 9am on Monday, January 16 and closes at 4pm on Monday January 23, 2017.

Those who believe they meet our requirements will have the opportunity to register and take part in an online assessment via the website.

This opportunity will be available at any time over those seven consecutive days.

A special email address has been set up for this campaign – this should be used for any questions about police officer recruitment: PoliceOfficerRecruitment2017@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk