West Mercia says national checking of police officers complimented its own vetting procedures

The largest integrity screening project ever undertaken in policing has seen 307,452 police officers, staff and volunteers in England and Wales checked against the Police National Database.

The temporary Chief Constable of West Mercia said it was doing everything to ensure its workforce had the highest standards of integrity.

Alex Murray said: "Here at West Mercia Police 4,745 people were checked and, as the data released by the National Police Chiefs Council shows, one individual required a vetting clearance review. Two others had additional checks to establish if there were any issues, there were none and no further action was needed."

He said the national cross checking of records had complimented West Mercia's current vetting practices.

"It further strengthens the safeguards we have in place to make sure the right people are working in policing, and to assure ourselves about the integrity of our vetting standards.

"A huge amount of work is done to check the suitability of our officers and staff before they join us, as you should expect, and should those then serving in the force betray our core values we will get them out as quickly as possible."

The Chief Constable said he wanted the public to have the confidence that the force was doing all it could to ensure its workforce had the highest standards of integrity.

"When an officer is dismissed, we will not be quiet. We will let you know so you can see the tangible results of our drive to improve and build your confidence in your police service.

"We cannot police without your consent and welcome the scrutiny and challenge from our Independent Advisory Groups and the feedback we receive in local surveys and through our Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

"By working together with you we can ensure we build on the Safer West Mercia Plan and create safer communities for all."