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Identical twins policing in same area after joining force at the same time

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Leigha and Ria Ravalia. ( Police Now via SWNS)

By Ed Cullinane via SWNS

Identical twin sisters are on the beat in the same part of London after joining the Metropolitan Police at the same time - and studying at the same university.

Leigha and Ria Ravalia, 22, are working for the force's neighborhood policing teams as part of a graduate recruitment program.

The twins - who both graduated from the University of Gloucestershire with a degree in criminology - say joining the thin blue line has always been a "pipe dream."

Pc Leigha will be based in Mile End while Pc Ria will be working in Spitalfields, both in East London.

The sisters, from Silverstone, England joined Scotland Yard through Police Now, a recruitment firm which provides a path for graduates to enter the police.

Leigha and Ria Ravalia. ( Police Now via SWNS).

Ria said: “We both had an interest in the criminal sector, but we hadn’t always been set on joining the police.

"It wasn’t until we saw an advert for Police Now that we seriously considered applying. It had always felt like a bit of a pipe dream to work for the Met.

"I’m not sure either of us really expected it to happen."

The twins, both blackbelt kickboxers, completed their training earlier this year and are now being deployed to the street.

Leigha said: "My first arrest was for common assault after responding to a report of domestic abuse.

"It was a difficult day, one of the very young children in the house clung onto my leg when I arrived as he was so scared.

Leigha and Ria Ravalia.( Police Now via SWNS).

"The offender has been sentenced to six years in prison. It’s a tough job but I was able to go home knowing I had helped protect a vulnerable family."

Ria added: "We have only been in our neighborhood teams for about a month but we are already very embedded.

"I have mainly been working on warrants and tackling drug crime in my area, but my first arrest was for a man suspected of possessing indecent child images.

"It was a huge case, he was charged with possession of indecent child images and sexual communications with an underage child and sentenced to eight years in prison."

Police Now, which was launched in 2014, work in partnership with the Home Office and police forces across England and Wales to recruit officers.

Clare Power, Police Now’s recruitment and marketing director, said: “We believe that neighborhood policing is vital in supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

"In order to achieve this, it is crucial that our police service reflects the communities it seeks to serve and that we recruit outstanding graduates and career-changers to become leaders on the policing frontline."

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