Around 700 police officers in Wales are off sick or on reduced duties

Almost one in 10 police officers in Wales is either on sick leave or carrying out limited duties, according to new figures. Around 700 of 7,422 officers are unable to perform full duties, with 162 on long-term sick - 28 days or more. The Taxpayers Alliance in Wales said the figure was too high. But the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents officers, said policing was a "contact sport" where injuries were possible. The figures have been compiled from Freedom of Information requests by the BBC Wales news website to the four Welsh forces. Steve Williams, secretary of the Police Federation in Wales, said: "Policing is very much a contact sport for want of a better term. "It very often involves violence and can lead to injury.' But Lee Canning, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance in Wales, said he believed the one-in-10 figure was too high. And he said he was concerned about the amount of bureaucracy involved before officers could return to work after an injury. The figures suggest North Wales Police has the lowest proportion of officers on sick leave or restricted/recuperative duties - one in 15. For the other forces in Wales, the figure is around one in nine or 10 officers. North Wales Police also has the fewest number of officers on long-term sick leave, despite having more officers than Gwent and Dyfed-Powys. The figures mostly relate to 21 January this year, the date the request was made to the forces.