2,438 Years Are Owed To Officers As A Result Of Rest Days Being Cancelled

Overworked police officers are having their rest days cancelled to keep forces afloat, Hampshire Police Federation has warned.

New figures show 2,438 years are owed to exhausted officers as a result of more than 890,078 rest days being axed by forces.

The situation was worsened over the summer when officers, who regularly give up time to police football matches, were urged to work extra hours during the riots.

Zoe Wakefield, outgoing Chair of Hampshire Police Federation, said the equivalent of 2,029 years were owed to officers in the county.

She said: “It’s not good for officer wellbeing because it means they’re working more and getting less rest. Significantly, they’re missing time with family.

“The bottom line is there aren’t enough police officers to cope with the demands that are put on forces.”

Zoe said the situation was exacerbated by officers only being able to book annual leave “if they plan miles in advance”.

She added: “If you tried to book anything between now and the end of the year, you wouldn’t get anything.”