WILTSHIRE Police has welcomed 14 new police officers to the force.

A passing out ceremony was held at the force headquarters in Devizes for ‘Intake 23’, at the end of 16 weeks of training.

The officers will now go on to complete a further 13 weeks of intense practical assessment before they are ready to embark on their careers as fully fledged officers.

During the ceremony, Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, and Chief Constable Mike Veale addressed the group, who had invited family and friends along.

Mr Veale said: “This is the ceremony that I love doing. I remember 31 years ago when I went through my own passing out ceremony and the huge amount of pride that I felt, as well as the pride that my family felt.

“These people should be extremely proud to have got this far and I’m sure putting on their uniform for the ceremony would have filled them with an enormous sense of pride.

“I don’t see the police force as a job, but more as a way of life. No day is ever the same.

“The best advice I can give to these new officers is learn as much as you can every day of the week from the people around you. When you go out in to the real world, keep listening and keep learning.

“Wiltshire Police may be one of the smallest forces in the country, but it is also one of the best and I am incredibly proud of it. This is the start of a memorable, exciting journey for all of these officers and I hope they enjoy their career as much as I have.”

During the ceremony, awards were given out to PC Jack Billington and PC Matthew Farrant - the two officers who had displayed the highest level of knowledge through impressive exam results.

The specialist training prize was awarded to PC Daniel Southey, while the student prize, as nominated by the officers themselves, was awarded to PC Jack Billington.

The 14 new officers are: PC Jack Billington; PC Andrew Caldwell; PC Matthew Farrant; PC Sarah Gagen; PC Sarah Greenman; PC Rachel Gunn; PC Lucy Heaps; PC Rachel Jackson; PC Joanna Matthews; PC Emma Minty; PC Rebecca Diamon; PC Amy Quintin; PC Daniel Southey; and PC Kerry Vicat