A Welsh police force has been paying more than £870,000 a year to suspended officers. Gwent Police hit headlines earlier this year when we reported two officers had been allowed to sit at home on full pay for four years before resigning in disgrace – and now the full scale of the problem can be revealed.
Figures obtained by a freedom of information (FoI) request show that as of last December the force had 20 officers suspended on full pay. Four of those had been off work for more than three years.
The taxpayer picked up the bill as the 20 officers received combined annual wages of £871,473 to do nothing. In reaction to the figures Welsh Conservative shadow finance minister Peter Fox said: “Gwent Police and the PCC (police and crime commissioner) need to explain how these delays were allowed to happen and set out a clear plan to restore public confidence.” Read the full story here
