THE decision by the Home Office to fund extra armed officers has been welcomed by Sussex and Surrey Police.

The Government department had pledged to provide £143 million of new funding to assist forces in areas of England and Wales most at risk to help protect the public from terrorism.

In total, around 1,000 officers will be trained and equipped as a result of the grant, which will be spread over five years.

But while neither Sussex nor Surrey Police will benefit directly from the money, Surrey and Sussex said they are developing plans to increase firearms capabilities.

Sussex Police Tactical Firearms Command Superintendent Sharon Bush said: “We welcome the increase in funding regionally, as this will enhance the specialist capability available to us in the event of a major incident in either county.

“We are also developing plans, in consultation with regional partners across the South East, about how we can increase our firearms capabilities in order to put us in a stronger position to protect the public from terrorism.”

There are 5,875 firearms-trained officers across England and Wales, according to Home Office figures - down more than 1,000 since 2008.