CONCERNS have been raised by senior figures in Cheshire Police about proposal which could require all new police officers in England and Wales to have a degree level qualification to enter the service.

Police and crime commissioner John Dwyer and chief constable Simon Byrne have both had their say on the proposal by the College of Policing.

Mr Dwyer said: “In one sense I can understand the view of the College of Policing as they are looking to introduce a consistent standard for new entrants into police forces across the country.

"I do agree with this and is why in Cheshire all new officers are required to complete the certificate in Knowledge of Policing prior to starting with the constabulary.

"This is supported by a rigorous application process which demands the highest standards from applicants.

"This ensures that all new recruits have the same baseline policing knowledge before starting and meet the standard expected by the chief constable.

“Where I disagree with the college is that I do not feel that we should be prescribing a degree level qualification for new entrants.

"This can be one route but not the only route.

“I believe that if this was to be implemented it would narrow the pool of applicants as we could lose those people who did not want, cannot afford or do not have the means to undertake a full degree – in essence we could lose some great police officers of the future."

Mr Byrne, who joined the Met straight from sixth form and has a master’s degree which he studied for part time while in service, agreed he also harbours concerns about the proposal.

He added that his main concerns focus on the force’s need to raise standards, consistency and professionalism but the proposals need to be fair and relevant to the communities the constabulary serves.