MORE than 16,000 working days were lost by Lancashire police officers during the past five years due to stress-related sickness.

Figures released by the force revealed almost 300 individual officers took time off work between April 2008 and March 2013 because of illnesses associated with stress.

Eastern division, covering Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, had the highest number of police officers taking days off for both work-related and non-work-related pressure, with 50.

In Pennine division, which looks after Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, the number was 42.

Rachel Baines, from the Police Federation, said the figures were ‘concerning’.

She said: “It does seem a high number and we would be concerned about so many officers suffering from these stress symptoms. Officers are dealing with terrible incidents every day and sometimes that can manifest itself over a period of time.”

She added that cuts to the service had ‘put more on the workload of the officers on the front line’ which would ‘undoubtedly impact on health’.

Lancashire police’s head of human resources Ashley Judd said: “The constabulary and its managers put considerable effort into keeping officers and staff at work and when sickness absence is necessary, there is encouragement and support to enable a return to work at the earliest opportunity.”