Durham Police Federation chair Louise Guest said new figures that reveal members are collectively owed 12,215 rest days are ‘shocking but not surprising’.

Louise said the Federation was working with the Force to reduce the number of days owed to officers.

But she said the figure highlighted the demand placed on officers and the workforce pressures facing the Force.

Louise said: “It’s shocking that our members are owed 12,215 rest days because they’ve been called to work on their days off and rest days.

“But given the demands placed on them and policing in general, the underfunding, and recruitment and retention issues, it’s hardly surprising.

Rest days

“Our Force is well aware of the issues and is working with the Federation to reduce the numbers.

“Having said that, we would not be in the situation had it been managed and handled better.”

The figure was obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Police Oracle, and showed that across England and Wales, rank-and-file officers are owed a combined total of 817,884 rest days.

Louise said: “This is a nationwide problem from officers having rest days cancelled without forethought for their wellbeing and welfare.

“Officers continue to put the public first, often at the personal cost of missing family occasions and events.

“And the loss of rest time inevitably takes its toll on their morale and their welfare and wellbeing.

“Something has to change, because the system is only working because of the goodwill of officers.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) recently launched its Hands off our rest days campaign in response to proposals from police chiefs to weaken protections for police officers’ rest days.

The campaign warns that policing is facing unprecedented pressure and that rest-day safeguards are vital to protecting officers’ wellbeing.

PFEW warned that repeated disruption to rest days risks damaging morale and retention at a time when policing is already being stretched thin.

Officer safety

Louise said: “Policing is a unique job, and officers need to be able to recuperate and recharge.

“Protecting rest days is about ensuring officers remain healthy, motivated and able to deliver the high standard of policing the public expects."