Dutch police launched a major campaign on Tuesday to recruit 17,000 new police officers within the next seven years, RTL said.

The police academy capacity is being screwed up from 2,000 to 2,400 places a year, thanks in part to an increase in government funding which will reach a structural €16m extra by 2022.

The campaign, on internet, television and on advertising billboards, focuses on the wide variety of work done by the police.

According to RTL, the police hope for a large response to the campaign because only one in 13 people who have an mbo school leaving certificate are accepted.