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This photo shows Llewela Bailey and Chief Inspector Kerry Blakeman presenting the first ever #WMPLive event on Youtube.

More than 1,500 people tuned into #WMPLive last night a UK-first online streaming event that gave a real-time insight into the work of vital West Midlands Police units.

The internet audience put questions to officers from traffic, motorway policing, dogs, firearms and air operations who joined a video 'hangout' on the force's YouTube channel.

Using smart-phones or tablets they were filmed on duty between 7.30pm and 8.30pm and used the opportunity to discuss their roles, equipment at their disposal and field questions from viewers.

Almost 100 people posted comments during the YouTube special anchored by former regional news presenter Llewela Bailey and questions flooded in via Twitter and Facebook.

West Midlands Police Operations Chief Inspector Kerry Blakeman, the event's brainchild, said: "We were breaking new ground with #WMPLive; we had to overcome some early technical glitches but overall it proved hugely successful and seemingly very popular with viewers who followed the discussion online.

"It gave members of the public a 'behind the badge' insight into dynamic areas of police work that largely remain hidden: these are not units like neighbourhood officers that routinely patrol communities and come face-to-face with residents.

"We'll take a lot of learning from this and going forward would like to run more focused live streaming events going into these areas of work in more detail and perhaps alongside a community representative acting as a citizen journalist.

"We're always keen to explore latest technology that affords new ways of reaching out to people across the West Midlands."

Questions posed during #WMPLive ranged from operational queries about police powers and use of Taser, through to tongue-in-cheek questions enquiring over the realism of the film Hot Fuzz!