Priti Patel has predicted the coronavirus crisis will help to boost police recruitment as she revealed forces have taken on an extra 3,000 officers since the end of last year. The Home Secretary said the figures show the Government is on target to meet its flagship manifesto pledge to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by 2023. Home Secretary Priti Patel, pictured giving the government's daily coronavirus briefing at Downing Street on Saturday, has said that the coronavirus crisis could help boost police recruitmentEarlier this week, police minister Kit Malthouse warned that Covid-19 could affect the 20,000 target. Patel has revealed the police has taken on 3,000 new recruits since the end of last year. Provisional data published by the Home Secretary yesterday showed 3,005 officers have been hired across England and Wales by the end of March.

Source: Daily Mail April 30, 2020 23:23 UTC