A DRIVE starts later this week to enlist more part-time police officers to bolster the thin blue line in one area of the North-East.

Durham Police is seeking to recruit an extra 40 volunteer officers to add to its special constabulary numbers over the coming year.

The application process opens for would be ‘specials’ from Friday (NOV 2).

Special constables are required to work a minimum of 16 duty hours per month, although shift times are flexible.

Following initial induction they need to attend regular meetings and training sessions to ensure their professional knowledge is up-dated.

Specials are not paid for their time, but travelling expenses are reimbursed.

Their main duties involve patrol and close work within the community as part of the force's neighbourhood policing teams.

They may also be involved in crowd and traffic control at major events, or be deployed to help secure a crime scene and assist with house-to-house inquiries in some investigations.

The force has 90 existing special constables, most of whom fit their policing commitments around a main occupation.

They are issued with the same equipment and have the same powers as regular officers.

Application packs will be available to download from the Durham force website from Friday (NOV 2).

They go on-line from 9.30am with a deadline for submission of 5pm on Monday November 12.

Applicants should print off the form and other relevant material from www.durham.police.uk and return them either by hand or by post, to Personnel and Health Services, Durham Constabulary, Police Headquarters, Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5TT.

Applications will not be accepted at any other station or outside of headquarters' opening hours, which are Monday to Friday, 7.45am to 5.15pm.

Only the first 500 applications submitted will be included in the process.

Should more than 500 applications be submitted before November 12 the recruitment advertisement will be withdrawn.