Traffic officers will help police during jams and accidents

They will be coordinated by operators at a new control centre at Brendan's Court in Avonmouth near Bristol.

The new service aims to keep traffic moving on the M5 and M4 covering the Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire and Devon and Cornwall areas.

It will also help to free up regular police officers to deal with crime.

Traffic Officer Network Operations Manager Andrew Page-Dove said: "This initiative means that more trained people will be on the roads to help drivers in the South West.

"We are looking to recruit top quality staff to run the control centre in Avonmouth and we welcome applications from those who want to make a real difference."

'Core priorities'

Avon and Somerset police Inspector Mike Parr said: "The introduction of the Highways Agency traffic officers will enable police officers to be released from routine traffic management roles to concentrate on our core priorities and tackling criminality."

Among their duties, traffic officers will be required to help police with motorway accidents, remove damaged and abandoned vehicles, clear debris from the road and organise temporary road closures.

There are plans for 160 on-road and control room staff operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.