Thames Valley Police (TVP) said it rejected nearly a fifth more potential officers in the last financial year than it did in the year before.

It said there was “change in risk appetite” after cases involving former Metropolitan Police officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, both jailed for life last year.

It also said the increased rejections could be attributed to “the quality of candidates” applying to join TVP.

A report by the force’s head of vetting and force security said 267 applications were rejected in 2022/23 but that number climbed to 319 in 2023/24.

Sue Murphy said another “concerning issue” was the 41% increase in the number of candidates who were withdrawing from vetting.

She said “very often” TVP staff will have “carried out a full process, only for a candidate to withdraw”, frequently because they have got another job.

In 2022/23, TVP saw 382 applicants withdraw but 538 did in 2023/24.

TVP employs about 5,000 officers in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and a similar number of staff in other supporting roles.

In 2022/23, the force said 251 officers left, along with another 53 student officers between April and mid-July 2023.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said last year that meant TVP lost significant experience and put pressure on training and vetting departments.

It estimated it cost about £80,000 to replace an officer who resigned after a year’s service.

Thames Valley’s police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber said it was “encouraging” that officers who commit misconduct are often reported by their own colleagues.

He told the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel on Friday that it reflected a “culture where people won’t tolerate poor behaviour and they know they will be listened to” if they report it.