Polish officer Daria on the beat in Wem

She has swapped life in Poland for life in the British police and is about to patrol the beat in a Shropshire market town.

Daria Kot, a married mother-of-two from Telford, has joined the local policing team in Wem as a police community support officer.

Originally from the region of Poland between Warsaw and Krakow, Mrs Kot, who has been in the UK since 2006, said she was looking forward to her new role.

She said: "I'm enjoying it already and I'm still in training for another two weeks.

"I really hope that I can help to build some trust between the police and the Polish community as I can explain everything to them in their own language.

"It can be difficult for some Polish people to understand the procedures and proper channels we use at West Mercia Police.

"It can work very differently from how it is in Poland."

Bosses said they were keen to snap up the 34-year-old's services because her Polish heritage could help build bridges between police and other members of the Polish community living in and around Wem.

Constable Dave Carpenter, who heads up the policing team in Wem, said: "If we can help members of the community feel more confident about approaching us then it helps us to build bridges in a positive way.

"Often they approach us with issues about housing and education so its about pointing people in the right direction.

"For some older Polish people, the police have not always been seen in a positive light as not long ago Poland was a communist country. It could cause a bit of suspicion between members of the community and the authorities.

"Having Daria on the team is really welcome because it means there is someone members of the Polish community in their own language."