The Metropolitan Police is lifting is residency restriction in a bid to meet its Uplift targets.

It needs to recruit an additional 1,800 officers by March 2023 but can’t find enough candidates in London despite a huge media campaign.

Police Oracle understands the force needs around 400 applications a month but the target isn’t being reached.

In a statement, the Met said: “To help ensure we meet the scale of these ambitions quickly enough – by the end of March 2023 - the Met has temporarily lifted the London Residency Criteria (LRC) - meaning those who want to join us and make a difference do not need only to have lived or studied in London.”

The force added: “As we face a final year of funded growth, now is the time for those who share the Met’s values of professionalism, integrity, compassion and courage to make a difference and bring those values to life serving Londoners.”

But it also means forces in surrounding areas such as Essex and Kent will now be competing with the Met for recruits, shortening the pool of talent available to them.

The move was welcomed by the force’s Federation.

Chair Ken Marsh told Police Oracle: “Looking outside London is a good thing. The numbers are just not applying. And that’s especially BAME and female recruits which is who we need at the moment.

“It’s what we need to do if we’re going to attract the calibre of officers necessary for the job.”

The Met said it is improving headcount and equality with the recruits signed up so far.

“As of next month, the Met will have more officers than at any time in our history, and we are more diverse than we have ever been – which we know is important for the communities we serve and for everyone in the Met.”