West Midlands Police Federation’s welfare van is proving every bit as popular as predicted after its first few months on the road.

The van, a joint initiative between the branch and the Force, boasts a main area featuring a table with seating for four, a sink, a microwave oven, a fridge and a boiling water dispenser.

To the rear of the specially-adapted vehicles is a toilet with another sink and a storage area. The van also has a retractable canopy which opens from the side to provide shelter and shade.

Officers have access to the welfare facilities when they are deployed to major incidents and events or while preserving scenes.

The van is predominantly used where police work is expected to go on for more than 24 hours but it is also sent to pre-planned events and mutual aid deployments.

It came into its own during the Commonwealth Games when it provided much-needed welfare services to officers who were not part of the security operation but found themselves stretched to the limit while carrying out business as usual across the Force.

The van was then deployed after the death of the Queen and thousands of officers were sent to London as part of operation London Bridge.

More recently, it was in demand round-the-clock for officers working in Birmingham during the Conservative Party conference at the beginning of October.

Officers were provided with hot and cold drinks, crisps, sweets and chocolate while having a sit down and a chat and the feedback was nothing but positive.

West Midlands Police Federation deputy secretary Chris James said: “As you can imagine it went down really well, especially on the colder nights.  It gave officers a chance to sit in the warm for five minutes, grab a drink and a snack and use the onboard toilet facilities.

“A number of members told us how much they appreciated everything we were doing and it was clear that the van’s presence was very gratefully received.

“I think it’s fair to say from the comments we receive that our members’ morale gets a real boost whenever they see the welfare van parking up.”

Welfare vans are becoming more popular across the police service as greater emphasis is placed on officer morale and wellbeing and around a dozen Police Federation branches now have their own vehicles.

The West Midlands Police Federation van became operational earlier this year and was an instant hit with members.

Chris said: “I proposed the procurement of a welfare van after carrying out a survey of crime scenes over a period of 12 months and found that between 18 and 24 officers attending the average scene were going without basic facilities.

“There were too many occasions when officers found themselves with no access to a toilet, nowhere to take refreshments,  and nowhere to wash their hands or even sit down and have a drink and something to eat.

“So I am delighted that the van is being put to good use and is proving so popular with members.”