Under pressure PSNIowed 400 years rest

And over the past four years a mind-boggling total of 400 years of rest leave was accumulated by officers from Chief Inspectors to Constables.

The Police Federation has repeatedly warned the force employs a massive but unsustainable amount of overtime to meet local policing needs and that officers are sooner or later going to be burnt out.

This is also borne out by the astonishing amount of rest days that have been owed to officers over the past four years.

Last year 31,600 days (86 years) were owed to officers.

This was lower than the figure for 2014 when 34,643 days (95 years) were owed to officers; 2013, when 40,236 days (110 years) were owed; and 2012, when 39,358 days (107 years) were owed at the end of the year.

The total rest days owed over the four years came to 145,837 days: a whopping 400 years of man hours.

The majority of this was owed at PSNI Inspector level (94,894 days); followed by Constable level (24,433 days); Sergeant level (18,343 days); and Chief Inspector level (8,168 days).

To put the numbers in further context PSNI Chief Inspectors were collectively owed 22 years over the four year period.