Extra police taken on to deal with terrorism

And a further 19 jobs are being created to tackle the threat of terrorism through intelligence work.

The new officers to fight major crime were revealed by the West Mercia Police Authority when it agreed its budget for 2006/7. The budget envisages a rise in the average Band D council tax of £7.07 a year for the police share.

Chief Constable Paul West's announcement signals his determination to adapt the force to the challenges of modern policing and thereby demonstrating that a regional merger is not inevitable.

Questions over the ability of smaller forces such as West Mercia to deal with sophisticated modern crime contributed to the Home Secretary's decision to press for the creation of regional super constabularies.

West Mercia Police Authority pledged to invest £2.9m in extra staff, including doubling the number of community support officers over the next 12 months.

Mr West said: "We have a vision and a clear direction.

"This is a clear message to the local community that we are open for business."

In total, the force is creating 95 more posts to improve the way it deals with major crime, terrorism, road offences, and to expand its firearms team.

Paul Deneen, the chairman of the West Mercia Police Authority, said: "This constabulary is one of the lowest spenders per head of the population of forces in England and Wales, while also being one of the top performers. Year on year it has exceeded its target of two per cent efficiency savings.

"Although we received the minimum level of grant from the government, we have been able to limit the impact on the council tax payer by accessing grants, realigning existing budgets and developing a fresh strategy of financing capital.

"We are confident the chief constable and his 4,000 plus officers and staff will not only be able to maintain their existing excellent performance but also deliver improvements which will have a big impact on the quality of service the public receive."