A POLICE force that faces losing a fifth of its spending power is ready to start hiring again, ending a two-year recruitment freeze.

Durham Police, which faces a 20 per cent budget cut over four years, made the announcement only days after unveiling plans for a £14m headquarters, in Aykley Heads, Durham City.

The force, which covers County Durham and Darlington, expects to hire ten police officers by April and ten more by April 2013.

The recruits will be chosen from previous applicants and are aimed at maintaining the force’s officer numbers at 1,370, replacing retiring officers.

The proposals are to be debated by Durham Police Authority meeting at County Hall, Durham, today.

Mike Barton, deputy chief constable, said: “In 2010, as a result of good management and foresight, which anticipated the Government’s spending cuts, we embarked on a programme of compulsory redundancies for police staff, a review of non-staff expenditure and continued our freeze on police recruitment which has been in place since early 2009. We are now in a position to be able to review the freeze on police recruitment.

“We have a current agreed establishment of 1,370 police officers.

“The number of officers employed is likely to fall below this level soon due to retirements.

“To ensure that we maintain our current numbers of officers, the police authority is being asked to approve the recruitment of ten police officers during the current financial year and ten the following year.

“These recruits will be taken from people who have previously been successful in the assessment centre process.”

Peter Thompson, chairman of Durham Police Authority, said: “We are determined to maintain high quality policing and service delivery despite reductions in the amount of money we get from the Government.

“Recruiting police officers will send out a powerful message to our communities that they can have confidence in Durham Constabulary to provide an effective policing service.”

The force has recently axed 86 civilian posts and closed its Aykley Heads sports centre.

A roadshow exhibiting the force’s plans for its proposed new Aykley Heads HQ began at Darlington Town Hall last night.

Further events are planned until Monday. For more information, visit durham-pa.gov.uk