Several police stations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will soon receive Victorian-style blue lamps outside the building as part of a plan to make the police more visible in their communities and connect the police more closely to the communities they serve.

As the nation marks Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews announced plans to fund several Mercia Lanterns – a replica of the Victorian Police Lantern first used in London in the 1800s – at several sites across the city and two counties.

The Blue Lamp as it came to be known became a powerful symbol of law and order in Britain, spanning several generations. It was originally used to help people easily identify a police station, seen as a place of safe refuge and help, giving reassurance to the public – something the PCC wants to see recreated today.

Mr Matthews said: "The Blue Lamp is an iconic piece of British policing history and symbolises not only law, order and justice, but safety and sanctuary. These values are just important to our communities today and this is just one of the many ways I aim to reconnect residents with the policing values of the past.

"As Commissioner, I have made it my mission to increase confidence and trust in local policing. The visible presence of a police officer or police station at the heart of a community has always offered immeasurable reassurance to residents. This symbolic gesture will help to remind people that the police take their safety seriously and are there to provide help when it is needed."

Neighbourbood Policing Week of Action takes place between January 22 and 26 to highlight the vital work that neighbourhood officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and volunteers do to protect the public and keep people safe.