Norfolk police could receive an extra £9m from the government as part of next year's funding package, it has emerged.

The 2021/22 funding package announced by the Home Office will include more than £400m to recruit 20,000 extra officers by 2023. The first year of the campaign recruited 6,000 additional police officers.

Alongside getting more officers out on the street, it is hoped the funding settlement will enable police to tackle serious violence and increase the number of specialist officers tackling terrorism and serious organised crime, including child sexual abuse and drug trafficking.

The announcement means Norfolk Constabulary could receive an extra £9m, raising its year-on-year total from £177m to £186m, while Suffolk Police could get an extra £7.4m.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said: "Having received details of the funding announcement, we plan to study them over the coming days and discuss the implications with the Police and Crime Commissioner.

"We will closely consider how we can continue to offer the service that Norfolk residents expect of us, within the limits of the available budget."

The 2021/22 funding package means an increase of up to £636m on last year, should police and crime commissioners (PCCs) take full advantage of police precept flexibility.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of police officers across the east of England to keep their communities safe.

“This funding will ensure that they are able to tackle the issues at the heart of their communities – more police officers and ultimately safer streets.”

Funding for counter-terrorism policing will total up to £914m, including money for armed policing and more officers.

In addition, counter-terrorism policing will receive £32m to establish a new counter-terrorism operations centre to keep the country safe from a range of threats.

The government said it also recognises that, during the coronavirus pandemic, huge demands have been made of the police.

The publication of the provisional funding settlement opens a period of consultation.

The final police funding settlement will be debated in parliament ahead of the new financial year.