More police officers are getting ready to hit the streets in Cumbria and the first cohort of the new degree-holder entry programme are sworn in.

Today, twenty new constables were welcomed into the force at an attestation event.

The new programme offers recruits a two-year accelerated route for those entering with a degree giving recruits the chance to train as a police constable and gain a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice via University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

Welcoming the new recruits is Deputy Chief Constable Mark Webster, Cumbria Constabulary he said: “I’m delighted to welcome these officers to Cumbria at the start of their policing careers. They begin a role which offers diversity, challenge and great fulfilment; where together, they can make a real difference to our communities.

“They are also our first recruits on the degree-holder entry programme which means those joining have all the experiences that go with completing a degree which can be hugely beneficial to our policing approach.”

The DHEP programme is part of a drive to open up policing to people who may not have considered it be a career choice for them in the past.