Better policing for vulnerable people funded

The money comes after the latest HMIC inspection of Bedfordshire Police criticised areas of the force’s dealings with those suffering domestic abuse and young people who have run away from Local Authority care homes.

It will fund training in Domestic Abuse for officers, an extra Sergeant for the Public Protection Team and pay for joined-up IT to allow investigators to cross-check databases for information on offenders.

Bedford Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway said: “The HMIC report makes it quite clear that Bedfordshire Police has made real progress since its first critical inspection in 2015.”

She added Bedfordshire cares for a large number of children from elsewhere in the country who “often don’t want to be here and frequently run away creating a significant problem”. She added “This is why I have backed the need to invest an extra £224,000 immediately in policing such vulnerable groups.”