As Jack Straw reveals the Government's plans for a national advertising campaign to sign up more police officers today, the Sussex force showed off 24 of its new recruits.

Sussex Police will be taking on 600 recruits over the next three years, an increase of 25 to 30 per cent above the normal figure.

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Toynton said: "We will be recruiting around 200 officers between now and next April as part of a national recruitment campaign.

"Our normal intake is between 150 to 170 officers, so it is a substantial increase in the normal number of recruits."

The move comes after repeated calls by members of the public for an increase in police numbers.

Margaret Johnson, chairman of the Sussex Police Authority, said: "We have listened to what people have said about wanting more police officers and that's why we're increasing our recruitment this year."

In a Press conference today, Home Secretary Jack Straw will pledge to provide 9,000 extra police places nationally over the next three years.

Up to 170 officers leave Sussex Police each year, often due to retirement. Mr Toynton said: "This is the first time in quite some time we will be topping up the numbers in the force.

"By the end of this recruitment drive, Sussex Police should have an additional 206 officers in addition to replacing all those who have left in that time."

Of the 24 rookies recruited to the force this week, eight were women. The recruits' previous jobs have included air traffic controller, HGV driver and research scientist.

Former business and law student Steven Smethurst said the Sarah Payne case had been an inspiration for him: "The way the police handled that case was inspiring.

"It was very unfortunate that it didn't turn out as well as it could have done but the case was handled with real dignity and respect."

Steven, 23, said the police force seemed a good career despite the ups and downs it would inevitably entail: "I have always been interested in the law and I thought joining the police would be an excellent way to meet new people and have new experiences every day of my working life."

Steven, from Worthing, will work in the force's Brighton division.

His new colleague Louise Churton agreed that the police force was a challenging and rewarding career. Louise, 23, who lives in Redhill, transferred from Surrey Police because she felt Sussex had better training and personnel strategies.

She said: "I like the care and commitment to staff at Sussex Police. It's also such a varied county, from Gatwick Airport to the coast - there's such a variety of work."

Mr Toynton summed up the challenges they would face in the next two years of training: "We take ordinary people and teach them to do extraordinary things."