DOZENS of new officers have joined North Yorkshire Police.

A group of 27 officers completed their 18-week training course last week, with 29 more just starting in the classrooms.

Seven of the new officers - whose backgrounds included filmmaking, probation work, project managers and working in the force control room - will be based in York, five in Harrogate, six in Scarborough, three in Selby, three in Northallerton and one each in Richmond, Catterick and Stokesley.

Temporary Chief Constable Lisa Winward oversaw their passing out ceremony and said she was happy to welcome them to their roles, and 29 more onto the course.

She said: "Policing is a challenging job, and the support of family and friends is extremely important, so I would like to thank them for their contribution and the sacrifices they have made to support our new recruit’s careers so far and in the future.

"I’m delighted to welcome another intake of new trainees to the force. These new officers are as a result of our recruitment campaign to reach out to under-represented groups and communities and I am pleased to report that as a result we’ve seen the highest ever number of successful applications from minority groups. I wish them the best of luck with their training and their journey to one of the most exciting and rewarding careers there is."

A further group of trainee officers will start their training in September