The community officers will patrol the streets

The 10 new community support officers will support the work of the rank and file officers and provide reassurance to people in Leominster.

The move is part of a government project to tackle petty crime.

One of the new officers, Louise Canning, believes her former career as a hairdresser has prepared her well for her new role.

'Local issues'

She told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester: "I always wanted to work with the police and was looking for a change.

"Public communication is a big part of my job and my background working with the public will help that.

"My job is to find out local issues and problems the community are having."

The community support officers will have a similar uniform to police but will not have the power to arrest and detain people.

Pc Tracy Lewis, of West Mercia Police, said: "What they will be expected to do in this position is to contact police and get them to the scene as a matter of urgency.

"They will be able to record and identify what has happened and act as professional witnesses at a later stage."

Ms Canning added: "We will build a better relationship between ourselves and the public and hopefully provide a more general feeling of safety in the area for the public."