GWENT has the highest number of police officers it has ever had, according to figures released yesterday.

Gwent Police Force has increased strength from 1,274 at the end of March 2001 to 1,333 at the end of March 2002, a rise of 59 officers.

The figures were released by Home Secretary David Blunkett (pictured) who also published a blueprint to take officers out of the station and put them back on the streets.

The action plan includes cutting unnecessary form filling, getting more officers on the beat and reducing time they waste while waiting in court.

Mr Blunkett said: "There are more police officers now than there have ever been. "That means more officers patrolling our communities and more officers on the frontline front line.

"The new blueprint is about making sure officers spend their time in communities providing front-line services, rather than being tied up by red tape and bureaucracy. "I am calling on every element of the police service including Gwent to swiftly examine and implement the key recommendations."

Senior officers in Gwent have welcomed the increase of newly recruited officers. A spokesman said: "It has helped to reinforce our aim to make Gwent the safest place in Britain."

They added that this was best reflected in the Home Office crime figures released in June which showed crime in Gwent was continuing to fall and detection rates remaining high. Gwent's Chief Constable Keith Turner has previously told the Argus of his aim to get more bobbies on the beat.

And the force has had a programme of filling office-based jobs with civilians where possible so that more officers can be freed up for frontline policing.

South Wales Police have announced that 36 police officers will now be stationed permanently at Cardiff airport.