Ashby MP Andrew Bridgen has welcomed the announcement that Leicestershire has been bolstered by an additional 155 officers since the Government launched a major police recruitment drive over a year ago.

The addition of these new officers brings the total number of police across Leicestershire up to 1,998, meaning there should now be more frontline officers on the streets.

Since the launch of the Government's recruitment campaign one year ago, a total of 6,620 extra officers have joined police forces across England and Wales.

Last March, it was announced that Ashby would get an improved police service in the area Ashby to get 24/7 police presence

The figures suggest the Government is on track to meet its manifesto commitment of recruiting 20,000 extra officers by 2023 - with the Conservatives saying they have hit the target of recruiting 6,000 new officers by March 2021, which is ahead of schedule.

The new statistics also show that the police workforce is now more diverse than ever before, with 10.2 per cent of new recruits identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and with 9,871 of all officers now being from these groups.

This recruitment drive is at the centre of the Government's commitment to back the police with more resources, powers and support to keep the public and their communities safe.

Alongside the recruitment campaign, the Government has announced the second round of the Safer Streets Fund, backed by £20 million of new money, to crack down on neighbourhood crimes.

This funding will enable PCCs and Local Authorities to make crime cutting interventions in residential areas designed to ensure people feel safer in their communities.

Other steps to support frontline police officers include a £636 million funding boost for police forces this year, bringing the total for police funding up to £15.8 billion, boosting police pay by 2.5 per cent, equivalent to a constable receiving an extra £1,100, and enshrining a new police covenant into law, which will offer enhanced support and protection for frontline officers.

Mr Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, said: "Getting more police officers onto our streets is one of the people's priorities, and so I am delighted that in just over one year, this Conservative Government has already delivered an extra 155 officers across Leicestershire.

"Every one of these officers will make an enormous difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe – and I know that many more will follow as this Government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 more over the next three years.

"By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, we are keeping the public and our communities safe, so that people everywhere can live their lives free from the fear of crime."