BORIS Johnson's pledge to recruit 20,000 more police staff will see Wiltshire Police open police officer recruitment for the firs time in two years.

Over the next three years new officers will be recruited to the force, with the Government committing funding for 6,000 officers shared among the 43 forces.

It is not yet known how many new jobs will be created for the Wiltshire force. There are currently 979 serving officers, with another 40 student officers due to commence in October, 20 in February 2020 and 40 planned to start in June 2020.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills. “We are gearing up for a significant uplift in police officer numbers in the coming years, with more than 100 students already planned to start police officer training in Wiltshire over the next 12 months. Additional Government funding will enable us to recruit, train and deploy even more officers to tackle crime and the issues that are really important to our communities.”

Wiltshire and Swindon’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Angus Macpherson, said: “"Boosting police officer numbers can only be a good thing for our Force. We need to attract, train and retain talented individuals who put people first and continue to give the public an excellent policing service, keeping people safe and working with local communities to reduce harm and the risk of crime. This is a priority for me.Anyone considering a job with Wiltshire Police will be joining a Force with a strong ethos of equality and inclusion, a must in this modern world we live in.”

For more information on the role of a police officer, the new training routes and entry requirements, go to https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/Officers