More than 1,100 police officers and members of police staff have benefited from digital investigation training.

The training by the Police Digital Academy took place during its opening fortnight.

This academy, a partnership between five north-west police forces, provides evidence-based digital investigation training.

Since February 5, short virtual sessions have been running as part of a five-week programme in which officers and other attendees learn from subject matter experts.

A total of 1,157 officers and staff members attended these training sessions during the starting two weeks.

The feedback received expressed positivity about the impactful information presented in a short training session.

Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Jonny Blackwell, Cumbria Constabulary, said: "I am extremely proud of the work conducted by all involved in the creation of the Police Digital Academy and the detailed planning which has gone into the delivery of this initial training.

"I am also really pleased to have heard so much positive feedback from frontline officers and staff who have attended sessions so far.

"The academy provides great opportunities for officers and staff across Cumbria, Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to gain skills which are required for policing in 2024 and beyond.

“Technology continues to change at pace, which means the threats and opportunities that changing technology provides are also developing quickly. No longer can digital investigation be viewed as a specialist area alone, we must mainstream digital investigation skills across our frontline."

One of the key principles of the academy is its 'agile and responsive' nature, contrasting traditional courses that can take years to roll out.

ACC Blackwell said: "We cannot afford to fall behind technology. Therefore, our training will move at pace to meet the challenges of modern policing.”

The training areas developed by the Police Digital Academy stem from evidence-based research done by its Digital Research Hub into a variety of themes including domestic abuse investigations.

This ensures that the delivered skills match the requirements of the officers and staff in performance of their duties.

ACC Blackwell said: "We aim to empower officers and staff with the digital skills needed to engage effectively with communities, foster trust and enhance public confidence in policing by striving for a police service that reflects the digital diversity of the communities it serves."

Remote training sessions will continue to be held throughout February and into early March.

A virtual library of the sessions will become available 'in due course' for officers and staff, which will include all academy content.