The Metropolitan Police will visit Leicester this week in search of officers from ethnic minorities.

The East Midlands city is the first stop for the Met's roadshow, touring towns and cities outside London in search of ethnic minority recruits.

The Met's Positive Action Central Team (Pact) will discuss police career opportunities at the Shire's Shopping Centre in Leicester on Saturday, 9 November, between 1000 and 1600 GMT.

The nation's biggest police force is aiming to have 7.9% of officers from ethnic minorities - currently it has just over 5%.

We need more police officers from all minority communities

Bernard Hogan-Howe

Chief Superintendent Bob Carr, head of Met recruitment, said: "By targeting Leicester we are aiming to appeal to its multi-cultural population to consider a career in the police service."

Ms Veronica Tordimah, head of recruiting for Leicestershire Constabulary, said: "We support the Metropolitan Police Service's campaign in Leicester as it gives Leicestershire people the opportunity to compare and contrast the benefits of joining either a Metropolitan-sized organisation or a somewhat smaller local police force in Leicestershire.

The Intromet roadshow was launched on 22 October at London's Westminster Central Hall by the country's most senior ethnic police officer, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, formerly with Leicestershire Constabulary.

Over the next few months, Pact will be taking the roadshow to areas with high ethnic minority populations, including London, Manchester and Birmingham to spread the message about career opportunities in the Met.

'Challenging targets'

The Met is on target to recruit a record number of 3,400 new officers for London this financial year - more people than many entire provincial police forces.

Assistant Commissioner of Human Resources, Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: "We want to make the Met more representative of London's communities.

"We need more police officers from all minority communities.

"We have been set challenging targets which means we have to come up with more new and imaginative ways to attract people to a career with the Metropolitan Police Service."