It took just three hours, but in that time thousands of people expressed an interest in becoming a police officer in Wiltshire. Most were left disappointed when they weren't quick enough to apply.
But Wiltshire Police says it now has enough applicants for the £19,000 a year posts. The Police Federation says it has reservations about the process.
Recruitment for new constables at Wiltshire Police was closed after just a few hours after the force's website had nearly 300,000 hits.
Demand was so high for the £19,000-a-year posts that the website initially crashed when applications were launched at 4pm yesterday.
Wiltshire Police has closed its recruitment of new officers after just one day. The force said it had an exceptionally high level of interest with over 283,820 hits on its website alone. Wiltshire was the first force in the country to advertise for staff following the recent financial cuts
Employment minister Mark Hoban says there are good signs for future jobs in the South West after new figures reveal unemployment has fallen.
Nationally, around 50,000 more people were in work according to the official figures for July to September. The unemployment figure is 2.51 million. Average earnings are also up 1.8%.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that a total of 155,000 people were unemployed in the South West between July and September. The region's unemployment rate was 5.8% and saw a drop of 1.3% during the period.
It's good news to see yet another increase in the number of people in work and to see unemployment fall again. The fall in youth unemployment is particularly welcome, although we're not complacent about the scale of the challenge still facing us.
– Employment Minister Mark HobanWe're working hard to help the long-term unemployed back into a job. That's why we've committed to supporting the hardest-to-help people over a two-year period through the Work Programme so that we can help them overcome their barriers to work and get them into sustainable jobs.
Unemployment in the South West dropped by 2,000 this summer, according to the official figures released today.
150,000 people were out of work, or 5.8%. The region's reflecting the national picture, with total unemployment now at its lowest level for a year.
Young unemployed people in the South West are getting free training this week as part of a nationwide campaign to help them find work.
Feeding Britain's Future asks employers in the food and grocery industry to pass on the knowledge and skills young people need to succeed in finding a job. 57,000 young people looking for work in the south west could benefit.
Unemployment in the South West fell by 18,000 in the three months to June, official figures have revealed.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that a total of 157,000 people were unemployed in the region between April and June.
The region's unemployment rate was 5.8% and saw a fall of 10.3% during the period.
Unemployment nationally fell to its lowest level for a year after a big jump in the number of people in work, the new figures showed.
The jobless total fell by 46,000 in the quarter to June to 2.56 million, an unemployment rate of 8% and the number claiming jobseeker's allowance last month was 1.59 million, down by 5,900 on June, said the ONS.
14 hundred jobs are on offer at a jobs fair at the Council House in Bristol today (Thurs)
Twenty employers including Wessex Connect, the local health trust and the Co-op will be there. Some will be looking specifically for apprentices.
Job Centre staff will also be on hand to offer advice.
