NEW 'recruits' have been drafted in to combat speeding and poor parking outside schools.

John Campion, police and crime commissioner for West Mercia, has funded 40 new cartoon-style signs depicting police officers, which warn drivers to slow down and not park on zig-zag markings.

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

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

Officers will place 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.”