POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Campion says he is pleased to welcome 40 new cartoon recruits to help tackle speeding or inconsiderate parking outside schools.

The latest batch of recruits come in the form of metre-high cartoon police officers who stand outside schools warning passing drivers to slow down and not park on the zig-zag markings.

PCC representatives say these ‘mini officers’ proved to be a great hit with schools in South Worcestershire after they were introduced as part of a joint campaign with Worcestershire County Council, Roads Focus, in November last year.

Since then, the PCC has funded 40 more to be given to North Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Officers will be placing the new signs outside schools that have long suffered with speeding or parking problems.

Mr Campion said: “These new signs are fantastic and were so well received by schools in South Worcestershire that I wanted to offer the same to local policing areas across West Mercia.

“I hope that these ‘mini officers’ will remind motorists to be more considerate outside schools. All too often people don’t respect the speed limits or think about where they are parking.

“By using these signs in a sporadic way, we hope they will be even more effective.”