A battle to ‘Save Our Bobbies’ in Humberside came in for praise as the police force got a recruitment boost from the Home Office.

A major recruitment drive is now under way thanks to new funding for an extra 74 recruits now, topped up with another 137 over the next three years.

Chief Constable David Westwood said: “The public were rightly concerned about the numbers of officers on the streets and raised their concerns with the Government.

“This included the Hull Daily Mail for which I am grateful.”

Alene Branton, from the Humberside Association of Neighbourhood Watch Groups said: “The concerted efforts of the chief constable, the Hull Daily Mail’s campaign, pressure from the community and from local politicians has shown we can achieve change.”

The Save Our Bobbies campaign began when the Humberside force bid for £7.4m from the Government’s Crime Fighting Fund to save 251 officers’ jobs – but in February received enough cash for just 74.

Persistence paid off when the Mail secured an exclusive interview with Home Secretary Jack Straw, when he learned first hand about the campaign calling on him to give Humberside police a fair deal.

The force had received the worst allocation in the country, but thanks to the improved deal, within three years there should be 73 more police officers than when Labour came to power.

The cash deal is not just for officers – it includes cash to run a police helicopter, money to install a new computer system, and enough funding for a new hi-tech radio system.

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