More than 4,100 Lancashire police officers injured on duty in five years (From Lancashire Telegraph)

More than 4,100 Lancashire police officers injured on duty in five years

1:00pm Monday 6th August 2012 in Crime news By Vanessa Cornall, Crime reporter

MORE than 4,100 Lancashire police officers have been injured in the line of duty in the last five years.

In East Lancashire 1,236 officers have suffered a range of injuries from minor cuts and bruises to serious complaints requir-ing more than three days off work or more.

Figures released to the Lancashire Telegraph through a Freedom of Information request show that almost three times more male officers in East Lancashire were injured in the line of duty than females.

Between 2007 and 2011, 664 officers in Eastern division which covers Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, have reported an injury.

During the same period, 572 officers in Pennine division which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, also reported an injury.

The numbers overall fell slightly from 150 in 2007 to 144 last year for Eastern division and down 139 to 115 for Pennine over the same period. In 2010, two East Lancashire officers claimed compensation from Lancashire Constabulary.

In one instance an Eastern division family liaison officer whose job it is to support grieving families or relatives of victims at the centre of a police investigation, received £5,000 for work-related stress.

In the same year, an officer in Pennine division was paid £2,505 after receiving hand injuries when a door was closed on him by another officer while on duty. Between 2007 and 2011, two Lancashire police officers received life-threatening injuries while working.

All injuries sustained in the line of duty are investigated in line with the government’s health and safety legislation.

A police spokesman, said: “At times, officers are injured whilst carrying out their duties. All injuries are investigated in line with health and safety guidelines and the force has a policy in place to ensure that those officers who are injured can return to full duties as soon as possible.”

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