A MAJOR recruitment drive to boost the number of ethnic minority police officers in Lancashire's force has hit the streets of Preston.

Lancashire Constabulary's massive recruitment campaign was launched in Blackburn, last April, in a bid to attract recruits from the Asian and African-Caribbean communities.

Now, police chiefs are targeting the Preston area with a range of specifically targeted job advertisements in the Citizen and on billboards and bus sides.

And police constable Mebs Ahmed, who has recently been appointed ethnic minorities liaison officer, has been handed the task of organising various initiatives to attract quality ethnic minority applications.

As part of the string of recruitment initiatives PC Ahmed will be organising a community event, to be held soon in Preston, at a venue to be arranged.

He said: "It will be a day when the community can find out first hand what it's like to be a police officer.

"I will be visiting various community, educational, religious and cultural centres throughout Lancashire, to meet members of the ethnic minorities, to promote a career in the police service and attending careers conventions at venues throughout the county."

The high profile recruitment drive is part of a ten-year campaign following Home Secretary's Jack Straw's pledge to increase the number of ethnic minority police officers, in light of the Stephen Lawrence murder enquiry.

Police chiefs are committed to attracting 162 officers from the ethnic minorities along with 73 ethnic minority support staff and 24 Special Police Constables, from across Lancashire.

If you have any questions or are interested in joining the police force give PC Ahmed a call on (01772) 410318.

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