A drive to recruit 200 more police officers will get underway today in what has been billed as one of the largest expansions of any force in recent years.

The 200 additional officers comes as a result of a decision by Kent crime commissioner Matthew Scott to increase the police council tax to boost numbers.

Many of those recruited will be deployed in local teams, partly to address concerns that the public often say they did not see many officers on the beat.

The campaign to find 200 new police officers has been given the title: “More Than The Badge.”

The recruitment drive follows a fallow period for the force in recent years in which the government’s austerity regime has seen substantial cuts in its budget.

Under the budget plans agreed last month, the bill for policing will cost taxpayers an extra £1 a month.

Average bills for the police tax will rise to £169.15 in 2018-19.

Speaking about the decision last year, Mr Scott said: “These officers will go into boosting a number of areas, including rural and roads policing, local communities, fighting cyber-crime and providing greater public protection and will take the total number of police officers in Kent to its highest level since 2012.”