Single police officer given hefty £18,344 in overtime pay this year

A SINGLE police officer was given £18,344 in overtime pay this year.

And the hefty sum was a tiny fraction of the £5.7million that Essex Police forked out to cover bobbies’ extra shifts in the year to November.

Figures obtained by the BBC show that £149,882 of overtime pay was dished out between ten officers in the county police force.

Behind the top earner was one paid £17,918 and one given £17,557.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington praised the dedication of his officers and insisted: “Crime isn’t nine-to-five.”

But the Essex Police Federation says the amount of extra hours has taken a severe toll on officers, who very rarely go home on time.

Chair Laura Heggie said: “Sometimes officers are forced to work on their days off.

“They often feel if they’re not in, they’re letting colleagues down.

"I’ve spoken to officers who are broken, but will say, ‘The team is really short today’, and feel they have to work.”

The Police Federation’s website says the starting pay for police constables in England and Wales is £29,907 a year.