Hertfordshire Constabulary spends more than £800,000 on public relations, it has been revealed.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Police Headquaters, on Stanborough Road, WGCPolice Headquaters, on Stanborough Road, WGC (Image: Archant)

The Press Gazette submitted a series of requests under the Freedom of Information Act to forces up and down the country asking constabularies for the number of communications staff they employed and also asked for their communications budgets.

In respect of Hertfordshire police data showed there were 16 people employed in communications and PR, with a budget of £864,024, for the period 2010 to 2011.

The 2014 to 2015 budget was down on that figure, but still stood at £814,271.

The budget for Hertfordshire was significantly higher than neighbouring forces such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

Bedfordshire’s 2014 to 2015 budget is £491,800, Cambridgeshire’s is £357,520.77 and the Essex force had a budget of £718,103.78, for the period 2013 to 2014.

Responding to the figures a spokeswoman said: “Hertfordshire Constabulary has a duty to keep the public informed and uses communication professionals to help galvanise their support in preventing and detecting crime and helping protect vulnerable people.

“The Constabulary receives great support from the county’s media and social media users. “Many criminals have been identified and convicted through the public coming forward in response to witness appeals.

“Equally every day vulnerable missing people are being found following appeals through the media and on the Force’s social media platforms managed by the team.”

She added: “Direct comparison between forces can be misleading as departments carry out varying functions, but Hertfordshire is a much larger force than either Bedfordshire or Cambridgeshire and consequently has larger corresponding workloads.”