Isle of Man government promises 'solution' over police pay

The island's police federation represents about 230 officers

The Isle of Man government has promised to "find a solution" after Manx police officers hit out at low pay in a survey.

The poll, in which more than 100 officers said they felt underpaid, was a "serious concern", the Department of Home Affairs said.

The same number voiced concerns about the rising cost of living.

The department and the Police Federation have agreed to address the concerns, a joint statement said.

It comes after federation chairman Richard Hewitt said urgent government action was needed as officers were "battling to feed themselves and their families".

On Monday the two groups met and agreed to form a working party to investigate.

Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson said she valued officers' "work and commitment".

She continued: "They work long hours, often in difficult conditions. I will be considering the results of the survey and will want to understand the options on how best to respond."

'Difficult circumstances'

Isle of Man police pay scales are linked to those in the UK, with an 8% wage rise recently agreed for the lowest paid officers last year.

Federation chairman Richard Hewitt said morale was low and officers felt their "cries for help were dismissed".

He has called for the department to introduce a dedicated living allowance to help meet higher costs as inflation soars.

Ms Poole-Wilson said she recognised that police work "long and often unsociable hours, frequently under difficult circumstances".

The federation and the department said they were "committed to work together to find a solution".