Recruiting strategy for special constables will not change in West Mercia in wake of terror attacks

It comes as the Association of Special Constabulary Chief Officers (ASCCO) announced that the number of special constables in Wales is to be increased to help police dealing with the heightened security threat.

There are currently about 450 police volunteers in Wales, but more will be recruited by 2020.

West Mercia Police said it launched a project to increase its special constabulary establishment and better integrate them into different areas of policing in October 2015.

But the force has announced that it has no plans to change its recruitment plans in the near future.

West Mercia Police spokesman Daniel Butler said: "To date we have recruited an additional 389 Special Constables into Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police with a significant amount of applicants coming through the recruitment process.

"Our current recruitment strategy will not change in light of recent tragic events although would use this opportunity to thank our special constables who in recent days have carried out additional tours of duty providing high visibility reassurance patrols in our local communities."

The ASCCO said specials often had skills from their day jobs to help in areas such as cyber crime.

North Wales Police – the force which covers Chirk, the Ceiriog Valley and Llangollen near to the Shropshire border – hopes to recruit an extra 100 special constables by 2020.

While Dyfed-Powys Police says it is also recruiting in the coming months to add to its 89 specials.

The other Welsh police forces are also increasing their numbers, although they have not given themselves a target.

Special constables are fully-trained frontline officers who can respond to 999 calls.

Ian Miller, chairman of the ASCCO, denied more specials were being recruited due to police cuts, saying they added value to policing.

He said: "I think by increasing the number of specials, it gives resilience to police forces with the security threat.

"There's an advantage in being able to call on fully qualified people to provide an additional resource during times of need."

Mark Owen, chief officer for North Wales Police's Special Constabulary, said the Manchester terror attack proved how invaluable specials were.

"A lot of special constables in north Wales turned up for duty without anybody asking them following the attack," he said.

"They knew officers were going to help in Greater Manchester so they came in, put their coats on and went out on the streets of north Wales. It gives us that flexible workforce."