West Yorkshire Police is running a recruitment drive to increase the number of Special Constables serving the county to 1,500 by May 2016.

Recruitment events are taking place this week in the run up to National Specials Weekend.

The Force has 420 Special Constables who each volunteer at least 16 hours a month. They have the same powers and responsibility as full-time police but do not receive a salary.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire Mark Burns-Williamson said: “Special Constables have a vital role to play within policing and it is essential we continue recruiting valuable members of the community who go on to develop into outstanding officers or who just want to make a difference within the community. The budget I recently approved included an amount set aside to ensure there will be proper support and training for those who apply.”

Details of recruitment events are at westyorkshire.police.uk/ bespecial.