SOUTH Wales Police had one of the highest rates of long-term sick leave in England and Wales last year.

UK government figures released this week show 4.7 per cent of force staff were absent for at least 28 working days between March 2016 and March 2017.

Gwent Police was the next highest with 3.7 per cent.

The South Wales Police figure has risen by 2.5 per cent since 2013.

Assistant chief constable Richard Lewis said South Wales Police is Wales’ largest force and among the busiest in England and Wales, dealing with more than 1,000 incidents every day of the week and policing some of the biggest events in the country from major sporting fixtures to large-scale international and diplomatic occasions

“While officers are proud and professional in the way in which they serve the communities of South Wales, fewer officer numbers means they are under greater strain than ever before,” he said.

“Additionally the reductions have meant we have focused on our front line resilience which means there are fewer non-operational posts for officers to return into if they are not fit for operational duty.”

He added the figures were also impacted by the number of officers unable for operational duties, such as those with disabilities, and when these statistics were taken into consideration the force’s position compared more favourably with others elsewhere.

“Police work can be extremely challenging and at times puts emotional strain on individuals,” he said. “The impact of this work can sometimes go unnoticed or may not be fully appreciated.

“Officers are called upon to deal with aggressive or violent offenders and occasionally suffer injuries in the performance of their duties.

“Our job as an organisation is to look after the health and wellbeing of our staff and ensure that when officers are confronted with highly emotional and stressful situations we give them all the support we can and encourage them to seek help if they need it.

“We recognise and value the contribution of our workforce and we scrutinise absence to ensure it is effectively monitored, managed and support is given when needed

“We also ensure all officers and staff have access to a range of support options, including an appropriate occupational health service and counselling which can be tailored to individual needs.”