The number of police officers in Hertfordshire fell by 39 in six months, according to figures released by the Home Office.

The statistics show that in March 2001, Hertfordshire Constabulary had 1,922 officers, compared to 1,961 at the end of September last year. An overall increase in police numbers in the year March 2000 to March 2001, by 155, was mainly due to 182 Metropolitan Police officers joining the constabulary's Hertsmere and Broxbourne divisions, when Hertfordshire's policing boundaries changed in April last year.

By March this year, 15 of the seconded Met officers had returned to the London force.

Deputy Chief Constable Peter Maddison said: "We need to put these figures in context. If we do not count the officers seconded to us from the Met, who are now returning to their own force, we did in fact recruit 107 officers last year. However, allowing for people leaving the constabulary, this translated into a net increase of nine officers."

He said recruitment difficulties, over the past year, were due to the difference in pay with the Met and the high cost of living in Hertfordshire.

In February this year, the force launched a recruitment drive. In May, the constabulary received around 39 applications each week, compared to ten between April and September last year. To find out about becoming a police officer call the hotline on 0800 358 3990.

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