AN INCLUSIVITY drive aimed at boosting underrepresented groups has prompted 'a near threefold rise' in female new recruits at Dorset Police.

New figures have revealed that more than half of new police officer recruits in Dorset last year were women and, while the Government says there is more work to be done to make forces representative, campaigners say a rise in female officers will help build public confidence in policing which was damaged after the tragic murder of Sarah Everard earlier this year.

Home Office data shows Dorset Police took on 90 new officers in 2020-21, including 46 who were women.

The increase in female recruits will go some way toward balancing the gender ranks among the force's police officers.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "The national Police Uplift Programme represents a once in a generation opportunity to enable greater representation.

"To achieve a broader inclusivity, Dorset Police’s current focus is on ensuring greater representation of all Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Groups and improved female representation.

"During 2020/21, the Force welcomed 90 new recruits compared to 33 during the year 2018/19 – a near threefold rise.

"The new intake also came via a series of new entry routes aimed at recruiting officers from a wide range of backgrounds, the Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF).

"These and the increased opportunities have enabled the force to recruit students who embody a more diverse representation of our communities with almost five per cent from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background and 50 per cent female."

Separate Home Office figures show 31% of officers in Dorset were women in March last year, up from 30% four years before.

Across the 43 police forces in England and Wales that proportion rose to 32% last year from 30% in 2016.

The Home Office said it had used targeted advertising and provided support to candidates in a bid to attract more women for police officer roles.

A spokesperson said: "It is excellent that more women are deciding to go into this inspiring career, and that more women are also represented at senior roles in police forces.

"We are aware, however, there is more work to be done which is why the Government continues to work closely with police forces to ensure their workforces are representative, in terms of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds."