Chief constable demands better pay for police as officers struggle to feed ... trends now

A leading chief constable has spoken out and demanded better pay for police as officers are struggling to feed their children.

BJ Harrington, boss of Essex police, claimed experienced officers and detectives cannot afford to carry on for much longer without fair pay. 

The Chief Constable said: 'My colleagues are proud - they are not the kind to complain but someone has to speak up for them and their families. 

'You can't Taser the gas bill and you can't handcuff the family food shop at Lidl. And you can't arrest rising mortgage bills.'

Speaking to 83 new recruits, Mr Harrington, revealed more than 300 officers have asked permission to take on second jobs to make ends meet while others are leaving the force.

Those quitting included a newly-promoted Sergeant who recently passed tough national investigation exams, only to resign within weeks.

Another officer resigned to work in the family restaurant nearer to home while a father-to-be policeman realised he could not afford to pay his bills on his police salary and resigned to earn £250 a day as a scaffolder

Police pay has fallen behind by 17% since 2000, recent figures from the Police Federation show.

The research found that police pay has fallen almost 20 per cent behind inflation between 2000 and 2022 - meaning that it has risen at barely half the rate of an average UK employee across the same period.

The study found that if these trends persisted over the next five years, police pay would drop a further four per cent by 2027.

Mr Harrington also shared images from a foodbank in a county police station which is being run by colleagues to ensure their fellow officers have something to eat.

He said: 'We are a team, and I'm so proud to see that but it also breaks my heart that people who have put themselves in harm's way to catch the worst criminals are having to rely on their mates so they can go home to a

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