West Mercia and Mid Wales police told to improve over vulnerable people and victim support

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said West Mercia and Dyfed-Powys forces "require improvement" after carrying out reviews.

The watchdog examined how effective forces are at protecting the vulnerable from harm, and supporting victims.

The reviews are part of HMIC's annual inspection of England and Wales's 43 forces.

West Mercia was judged to have some areas for improvement in the way risk is assessed and vulnerability is understood.

It was also found that on occasions some officers do not always fully appreciate the dynamics of domestic abuse incidents.

But the inspector praised the use of domestic abuse risk officers, who deal with the high risk cases, and the force's close working relationships with other organisations, which it said enhances the safety of high risk victims.

Detective Superintendent Steve Eccleston, of West Mercia Police, said: "As HMIC recognise, child sexual exploitation and domestic abuse are two of the most serious crimes and the impact they have on victims can be devastating.

"It is absolutely crucial that we continue to work with our partner organisations and the wider criminal justice system do all we can to ensure that victims feel safe and are protected throughout the process and investigations are thorough.

"The force is addressing all of the issues raised in this report, building on the many improvements already made since last year to the service victims receive. We are committed to continuously improving how we protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Dyfed-Powys was judged to have lacked professional expertise to investigate domestic abuse and its handling procedures for 999 or 101 calls also needed improvement.

But HMIC recognised the force is investing in more specialist investigators and has a domestic abuse arrest rates for the 12 months to March 2015 of more than 80 per cent - the second highest reported in Wales and England.

Sharon Reynolds, force spokeswoman, said: "We are delighted that the inspectorate recognised that Dyfed-Powys Police has a strong ethic to protect the vulnerable, with good support from partners.

"The force has already commenced work in relation to the identified areas for improvement."

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoë Billingham, who led the inspections, said: "Victims of crime and anti-social behaviour who are vulnerable in some way are in greatest need of the police's protection and support, but HMIC's inspection found that most forces require improvement in how they protect and support them.

"Whatever the overall judgment we came to, we know that there is hard work carried out by dedicated police officers and staff in every police force.

"We found many examples of committed and talented police officers and staff going the extra mile to meet the needs of vulnerable victims consistently, sometimes in the most difficult of circumstances, and I'd like to thank all those who work so hard in this often difficult and sensitive job."