Avon and Somerset police mental health fears as sick days soar

The number of police officers in Avon and Somerset taking time off for mental health reasons has risen by 450% in less than a decade, the BBC has found.

Nearly 15,000 days were lost in 2017-18, compared to about 2,700 in 2009-10, mostly due to stress and depression.

Jon Owen from the Police Federation said being a officer was now "highly likely to hurt you".

The force's deputy chief constable blamed staff cutbacks and "more complex" challenges for the increase.

A Freedom of Information request from the BBC found in 2009-10, 2,722 days were lost for mental health reasons. By 2017-18, the total was more than five times greater at 14,951.

Mr Owen, an officer with Avon and Somerset Constabulary for 23 years, said the force had to "look at what is going to happen to its people".

He was forced to seek help after failing in the "hopeless task" of saving a young child's life after a road traffic incident.

"It's highly likely this job is going to hurt you," he said.

"If we know that in advance, we can work out what can we do to mitigate that."

'Austerity to blame'

In neighbouring Wiltshire, the number of officer days lost since 2014 rose by 145%, while in Gloucestershire the numbers doubled in the last 10 years.

Tim Jackson, chair of trustees at the Police Dependants' Trust, blamed austerity cuts for the increases.

"Virtually every police force has reduced its spending on occupational health units and welfare provision," he said.

"Now we are seeing potentially the consequences of that."

The deputy chief constable, Sarah Crew, says officers now have to deal with new, complicated cases

Sarah Crew, deputy chief constable of Avon and Somerset police, said the force was "investing services in-house to provide support and counselling".

"We have 650 fewer officers than in 2009-10," she added.

"Some of the things officers deal with now are new and complicated, such as domestic abuse, cyber crime, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation, which are traumatic."

A Home Office spokesperson said the Government "takes the issue of police welfare very seriously and has invested in programmes which offer help directly to officers".