A TOTAL of 180 new recruits are set to join Lancashire police by the start of next year as part of a £2million investment in frontline policing.

The first 60, some of whom are set to work in East Lancashire, have been welcomed by police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw who said they are joining at a ‘challenging but exciting time’.

Mr Grunshaw said the force had been inundated with applications and the new recruits would have a ‘vital role to play in keeping Lancashire safe’. The other 120 officers are set to join by January.

Mr Grunshaw said: “Policing is changing and these recruits are joining at a challenging but exciting time for Lancashire Police.

“I have fought hard to protect funding for the police and safeguard vital jobs so I am delighted to be welcoming our newest officers. Residents rightly value having a visible police presence and we need to invest now to maintain officer numbers over the coming months.

“These officers have a vital role to play in keeping Lancashire safe and I would like to congratulate them on getting through the recruitment process and wish them luck for future.”

The new recruits will replace retiring officers or those who have recently left the force.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said: “The way we police our communities has changed significantly over recent years and we were keen to recruit resilient individuals with a high level of empathy to meet the demands of modern day policing.

“All those recruited have extensive experience of dealing with vulnerable members of the community, in particular those with a background in mental health. We’d like to wish them all the very best in their future police career.”

Of the initial 60 recruits, 12 already have a foundation policing degree and will undergo a five-week ‘bridging’ course. The other 48 will embark on the full 20-week training course.

Following their training, all student officers will work with a tutor constable for 10 weeks, before they are assessed prior to being signed off for independent patrol. They will then serve a two-year probationary period.

The recruits will be posted right across Lancashire and some will join the force’s Early Action teams, which work to help prevent people from becoming vulnerable members of society or entering a life of crime by intervening before individuals reach crisis point.