A Funding pot of £25k has been made available for policing teams to make officers more visible when using pedal power to patrol.

The police and crime commissioner makes £25K of funding available each year for each of the five local policing areas through the Local Policing and Community Ambassadors Fund (LPCAF).

Each of the policing teams will have the opportunity bid for funding for replacement or new bikes.

PCC John Campion said: ‘The communities of Worcestershire continue to indicate that they value seeing West Mercia Police visible in their community and are supportive of the use of bicycles where appropriate.

“This funding will ensure that local policing teams have the opportunity to purchase either replacement or new bikes, enhancing the mobility and speed of foot patrols.

“It is important that I listen to and act on the views of Worcestershire’s communities and this initiative will improve officer visibility and approachability when they’re out in the communities they serve”

A West Mercia Police chief has welcomed the extra funding.

Chief superintendent Paul Moxley said: “We are extremely pleased to have received additional funding to increase our presence locally. We know our communities appreciate seeing their officers patrolling the streets and this will go a long way to helping us cover larger areas; providing more visibility.

“It is extremely important to us to engage with our residents and have the opportunity to be out In the community to spend time with, talk and learn about their concerns or needs. The bikes allow us to get around and meet with more people.

“Officers spend countless hours on foot patrols throughout the county and the use of more bikes will help them provide a faster response. The bikes also allow officers to get to locations through city areas that police vehicle may find difficult to access. Keeping the public safe is the force’s main priority and the best way to do this is to cover more ground and respond to incidents as fast as possible.”