Kent Police has lost hundreds of front line officers over the last three years, while violent crime has increased in the county.

The Police Federation say a reduction in the “eyes and ears” of England and Wales’s police services is causing communities to suffer.

Figures from the Home Office show 225 officers, in roles categorised as ‘visible operational front line’, have been lost from the force between March 2015 and this year – a drop of 12%.

But the number of violent crimes recorded in Kent more than doubled.

In the 12 months to March this year, 66,132 violent crimes were logged, compared to 28,624 in the same period in 2015.

In total, there were 1,674 officers in visible front line roles this March.

They include 1,305 neighbourhood officers, who are posted in the community to gather intelligence and provide help at the scene of crimes.

Across England and Wales, more than 7,000 visible front line officers have been lost over the last three years, a reduction of 11%.

Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, said: “Neighbourhood officers represent the backbone of policing in this country – local officers who are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the service.”

However the Home Office includes other roles as ‘non-visible front line’, such as those involved intelligence gathering operations.

These increased in number in Kent Police, from 797 in 2015 to 1,138 this year.

A Home Office spokesman said community engagement was about more than a visible police presence.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "Earlier this year, Kent Police launched the biggest recruitment campaign in its history to find hundreds of new officers.

"On 19 March, the Chief Constable of Kent Alan Pughsley and the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott announced a recruitment drive which will see an uplift in the number of officers keeping the county safe.

"In February, Mr Scott gained approval to increase the 2018/19 council tax precept, meaning a Band D household will pay an extra £1 a month. This will fund an extra 200 Kent officers to support local policing and in excess of 80 police staff.

"These will be in addition to the planned recruitment of 240 officers proposed over the coming year to maintain the force’s existing numbers.

"A significant number of these new recruits will go into local policing, rural policing and roads policing teams."