In January 143 new constables joined the Met through the PCDA. Successful applicants included an athlete, a taxi driver and a prison officer. They will become fully qualified PCs around January/February 2024.

The decision to freeze recruitment last year was taken after 1,369 additional officers - the Met's funded target for the financial year through the national uplift - was achieved several months early. 

Now the force is again calling for more applicants for the PCDA route.

The starting salary is £30,006 inclusive of allowances, rising to around £33,000 on successful completion of the three-year programme.

The Met says 33 per cent of the recruits are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds; and 50 per cent are women.

Met’s Director of Learning, Alex Walsh said: “Joining the Met as a police constable through our apprenticeship programme really is an exciting opportunity and one we hope will help encourage Londoners – particularly those from our Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to consider – to think about a career in policing."

On successful application, new recruits will start their training by attending one of four London universities. The force said they are attested as police officers on Day 1.

They then have 17 weeks of up front learning at the Universities (although all non-essential face to face training is now done virtually).

This is followed by an eight week Street Duties course where officers put their learning into practice supervised by an experienced officer acting as a ‘Tutor Constable’.

By the end of the Street Duties course, all officers should have attained Independent Patrol Status.

However their structured development programme will continue for a full three years. Upon successfully completing all elements of the apprenticeship, they will be awarded a BSc (hons) degree in Professional Policing Practice and will be confirmed as a PC.