The officers, who all work on 'B' shift, paid for most of the trip themselves and went during their rest days. They shared hotel rooms and borrowed cold weather gear from their colleagues in the Firearms Department.

Officers set up the visit to Sochaczew to learn more about policing the Polish community because there is now a sizeable, and growing, Polish community living and working in Melton since Poland joined the Europe Union in 2004.

Officers have also had their neighbourhood newsletter for Melton Mowbray Town South translated into Polish.

Melton has been twinned with Sochaczew since 1996. It is a town that lies about 40 miles west of Warsaw in the middle of a provincial region similar to Melton borough. The officers flew out on Monday 18 February and back on Thursday 21 February.

PC Spike Yeoman, said; "We organised the trip to give us a better understanding of the Polish culture and help us in our day to day dealings with Polish people living and working on our beat.

"We have learnt so much from the people we met and have made some great links and friendships with officers and the town's Mayor.

"We were all overwhelmed by the hospitality of the officers we met, they showed us around their police training camp and local police station and spent a great deal of time and effort showing us as much as they could in the short time we were there.

"It was obvious that they were very proud of their policing system and that crime figures are on the way down.

"We met some exceptional people and have learnt so much. We have been invited back and have also asked the officers we met to come to Melton and see what we do here.

"They were particularly interested in neighbourhood policing because they don't do community policing in the same way we do and they have a drive to get closer to their communities in the same way we do.

"The whole trip was thoroughly worthwhile and we know that the experience and knowledge that we gained will help us in our daily patrols round our beat."