The latest inspection of Suffolk's police force has revealed that it requires improvement in supporting victims, with 40,000 calls to its 101 line going unanswered every year.

In the 2021/22 Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection, Suffolk Constabulary was rated 'good' for six categories, 'adequate' for three and 'requires improvement' for one area - supporting victims.

The inspection drew particular attention to its 101 service for non-emergencies, saying: "Suffolk Constabulary needs to improve how well it answers 101 calls from the public. Too many 101 calls are not being answered and there are long wait times for many callers."

Force data shows that every year, it fails to answer around 40,000, or 32%, of 101 calls and that some callers can sometimes wait for more than an hour.

Deputy chief constable Rachel Kearton said that a command and control room (CCR) transformation plan was already in place when the inspection took place, due to feedback they had received from the public.

Phase one of this plan was financed by a £10 a year policing precept increase to council tax bills added by police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore.

This saw an increase in the number of switchboard operators, trainers and supervisors in the CCR.

Phase two will be delivered by February 2023 and will change core patterns of working to maximise potential, increase the number of staff and introduce new elements of technology.

Ms Kearton added: "Our target is an overall transformation plan which embraces new technology, maximises the resources that we've got and builds in higher levels of training for our staff."

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's police and crime commissioner, said: "This is a good report and reflects the hard work and commitment of the constabulary to keep us all safe.

"I am pleased the inspector has recognised that despite being one of the lowest-funded forces, the constabulary has responded to the challenges it faces and has improved in many areas since the last inspection.

"I accept the findings that the 101 service needs to improve and we have already committed a significant investment to improve this primary route for public contact.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank officers and staff for their continued dedication to the communities they serve and echo the inspector's congratulations for keeping us safe and reducing crime."