NINE new police officers will be covering the Taunton and West Somerset area, including Wellington.

The additional officers are nine of 70 to join the Avon and Somerset force following a government pledge to invest more into neighbourhood policing.

MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos has welcomed the news and spent an afternoon on the beat with local police to get first-hand experience of the issues they are facing.

He said: “I and my 72 colleagues in Parliament have actively fought for proper community policing to bring back law and order to our towns and villages after the last Conservative government reduced police numbers across the country since 2015 by a staggering 50,000.

"That work built on my campaign throughout the General Election, and since, calling for more bobbies on the beat, so I’m delighted the government has now agreed to increase the number of frontline officers here in our area.

“There’s still more to do to catch the culprits but this joint approach with LibDem councillors shows that teamwork can really start to get results in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour here in Taunton and Wellington.”

Clare Moody, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “The government’s commitment to neighbourhood policing is very welcome and aligns with my priorities for our area.

“Having more officers in our communities plays a crucial role in feeling safe and building trust and confidence in policing locally.

“I’m also very pleased that Avon and Somerset Police will be deploying experienced officers into these additional roles, bringing their problem-solving and investigative skills.

“In addition, there will be new officers to replace those who are moved into these roles.

“Gideon has raised the need for more neighbourhood policing each time we’ve met. It’s an agenda we share and I’m very pleased that Taunton is getting this necessary support.”