DORSET Police will receive an increase in funding of more than seven per cent next year, while also seeing the second fewest additional officers recruited.

Home Office figures show that of the £16.9 billion being spent on nationwide policing in 2022/23, £158.4m will be given to Dorset services – a 7.3 per cent increase on last year.

Despite this cash boost, the county will receive the second lowest number of additional officers in England and Wales at just 59 – behind only the City of London with 54.

Hampshire meanwhile will gain an additional 385 officers and a 21.8 per cent cash increase.

Dorset does, however, have among the lowest crime rates in the UK.

Police and Crime Minister Kit Malthouse said: “Police officers in the south west are doing great work pursuing drug gangs, protecting vulnerable people from harm and tackling neighbourhood crimes such as theft. This cash injection means that can clamp down on the crimes that really matter to people with even more determination.

“Police forces in the south west have already benefitted from extra officers being out on the streets after more than 11,000 have been hired to forces across England and Wales over the last two years, helping to drive crime down.

“This increase in funding will see even more officers hired to tackle crime, continue to remove weapons from our streets and support communities to feel safer.”