North Yorkshire Police has praised the commitment of the Special Constabulary as more recruits complete their probation.

Between April 2012 and March 2013, the specials gave more than 40,000 hours of service. This compares to 26,948 in the previous 12 months.

Superintendent Richard Anderson, who leads the Special Constabulary for North Yorkshire Police, said: “The hours and commitment given by Special Constables has proved to be an outstanding contribution to policing North Yorkshire.

“Their efforts were particularly appreciated during the spate of severe weather which hit the county late in 2012, resulting in widespread flooding across the county. The specials who volunteered put in long hours, even after they had already done a full day’s work.”

The figures were released as the latest probationary special constables to complete their 24 month assessment period received their certificates.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Special Constabulary should visit northyork shire.police.uk/specials.