West Yorkshire tops for bobbies on the beat - with 16% on patrol

THERE are more bobbies on the beat in West Yorkshire than any other part of the UK.

A new study has found that 16% of the force’s officers are out on patrol. That compares to a national average of less than 12% according to a major survey by the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

West Yorkshire makes more frontline use of its police officers and police community support officers as “visible and available”, meaning they are out on the streets of the county.

The study found that each bobby on the beat costs the taxpayer nearly £800,000 a year, based on the total budget for policing across the country.

West Yorkshire Police also had among the lowest costs per visible and available officer.

North Yorkshire had 13.6% frontline officers, South Yorkshire had 11.9% and Humberside had 11.4%.

Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The police have important work to do that will sometimes legitimately stop them being available for visible policing, but the large differences between forces suggests some are giving taxpayers better value for money”.