Gloucestershire police is welcoming 10 new officers from MoD

TEN new police recruits have been drafted in from the Ministry of Defence.

The 10 MoD officers are currently undergoing inductions before they start to patrol the streets with Gloucestershire's local policing teams.

They are due to start work on the county's frontline next week.

The recruits will be working as response and community- based officers in areas including Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds, Gloucester, Forest of Dean, and Stroud.

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Chris Jackson, a spokesman for Gloucestershire Constabulary said: "They were part of the last recruitment process which saw us advertise internally and to other forces, inching the Ministry of Defence Police. They are permanent employees and the Constabulary will be paying them."

In February the force announced more than 70 officers were being taken on following a lift on a recruitment freeze.

At that time Gloucestershire police said officers transferring from other forces would get first options on the jobs.

The freeze imposed in August 2010 saw more than 70 constable vacancies within Gloucestershire police not filled.

The force is shedding 184 officer and 300 civilian posts over four years and closing 15 stations in a bid to save £18 million.

The 10 new recruits will not increase the number of police officers in the force, but have filled vacant posts left by people leaving the organisation because of retirement or other opportunities.

Gloucestershire Police Authority chairman Rob Garnham welcomed the news.

He said: "By recruiting internal staff and specials it means the force has to spend less money on training.

"It is great that these positions are being filled, particularly at a difficult financial time. Although we cannot recruit from the public because of money pressures, it is a good thing that we are getting some fresh faces into Gloucestershire police.

"What we don't want is a situation where we have no new blood."

It is unclear how many of the other 60 posts are yet to be filled following the recruitment process this spring.

Chief Constable Mick Matthews added that the recruits "brought immediate experience from a broad range of policing roles that will enhance the capability and capacity of the constabulary."