Latest news with #PoliceFederationofEnglandandWales
ITV News
28-07-2025
- Health
- ITV News
More than 1,000 Greater Manchester Police officers signed off with mental health issues
More than 1,000 Greater Manchester Police officers were signed off work last year due to mental health issues, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Officers were signed off for a number of reasons including stress, depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. The figure at Greater Manchester Police has increased by 2% on last year, and has jumped by 22% nationally in the financial year 2024-25. 33 of the 45 forces that provided figures both this year and last year reported an increased number of officers being signed off for mental ill health. Mike Peake, Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: 'Policing is a vocation like no other – police officers see some horrific sights and deal with more violent, stressful and traumatic incidents than ever before. 'As such, it comes as no surprise that 1,050 Greater Manchester Police officers were signed off work in the past year due to mental health issues, but what is particularly concerning is that figure has risen once more.' Paul Williams, Wellbeing Lead of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), said that the national figures were 'very worrying'. He said: 'Behind each mental health condition, you've got an individual who's going through incredible trauma, which has a significant impact not just on them, but on their family, marriage and career. It can be devastating.' Paul said it was 'a demonstration of the complexities of policing, a demonstration of the budget cuts over the past 15 years, and the lack of increase in pay for police officers. All this has contributed to an extreme rise in mental ill health within the police, and it's only going to keep rising if there's no intervention'. To try to help officers who are struggling with mental health issues, a new 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line on 0300 131 2789 has been launched by The National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo. It is staffed by expert counsellors to support those working in policing who are experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts. It is confidential and completely independent – no information will be shared with the force, Occupational Health departments or line management. Mike said: 'Much more needs to be done to acknowledge the constant difficulties that police officers face every day, and I welcome the launch of the new Mental Health Crisis Line for police officers and staff. Suicide among police officers is alarmingly on the increase, and it is my hope that the crisis line will go some way to address this.' The Home Office and Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for comment.
Business News Wales
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Business News Wales
New National Chair of Police Federation of England and Wales Announced
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), the staff association representing more than 145,000 rank-and-file police officers, has announced that Tiff Lynch has been elected as the next National Chair. Nominations for the role of National Chair officially closed at midnight on 18 June 2025. At the close of the nomination period, Tiff was the unanimous choice of the Federation to assume the role and becomes just the second female Chair in the PFEW's 106 year history. She will formally assume the role on 1 July. On behalf of the National Board and National Council Mukund Krishna, CEO of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: 'During her time on the National Board – particularly as Acting Chair – Tiff has demonstrated unwavering commitment to fighting for police officers across the country. She is one of their own and has always stood firmly in their corner. Her leadership is rooted in authenticity, integrity, and a deep understanding of the challenges our members face on the frontline. 'I congratulate Tiff on her election as National Chair – a role I know she will approach with the same passion and purpose she has shown throughout her career. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that the voice of our police officers is not only heard but acted upon in the months and years ahead.' Tiff Lynch, National Chair Elect of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: 'I am incredibly proud and honoured to become National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales. Police officers put their lives on the line, and it is indefensible that pay has fallen in real terms by a fifth since 2010. In addition to driving forward the Copped Enough campaign, which is demanding full pay restoration and an independent pay machinery with binding arbitration, I will fight for improved health and wellbeing care, workload reform to stop burnout, and full and proper enforcement of the Police Covenant so that it makes a positive difference supporting police officers and their families. 'Policing has become an easy target for politicians, the media, and armchair critics. That ends here. I will challenge damaging narratives, confront poor legislation, and ensure police officers' voices are heard where it matters. I will defend the profession, challenging government and chief officers alike, and I will not allow the courage, commitment, and professionalism of police officers to be undermined by cheap headlines, scapegoating, or political agendas. 'My purpose as National Chair is simple: to stand up for police officers and lead with a clear focus; to be bold, unapologetic, and relentless in fighting for fair pay and better conditions; to protect what matters; to improve what's not working; and to make sure the Federation stays relevant and strong in the face of ongoing challenges. It's not just about being seen; it's about getting things done. I look forward to working with members across the country and Mukund Krishna and his management team to achieve those aims.' Tiff joined Leicestershire Police in 1995. Throughout her policing career, she has specialised in firearms, tactical support and frontline as a general response and beat officer. Her Federation career started in 2007 with progression to the post of Chair of Leicestershire's Constables Committee (2011-2014); Chair of Leicestershire Police Federation (2014-2018); and National Board member of the Police Federation of England and Wales (2018-present). Nationally, Tiff has led on conduct and performance and parliamentary engagement, lobbying for the organisation – with membership and representation always at the core. Tiff was elected as the Deputy National Chair and assumed office from 1 June 2022. She has been carrying out duties as the Acting National Chair since 19 September 2024 seeking to drive forward the Federation's priorities and strategy for 2028.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The police must do better, not more
Writing in The Telegraph on Monday, two prominent officers lamented the current state of policing in Britain. Nick Smart, president of the Police Superintendents' Association, and Tiff Lynch, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said morale had been crushed by a broken system. 'The service is in crisis,' they wrote. Pay was too low, work was too hard and the police are facing further real terms cuts in spending when the Chancellor makes her dispositions known today. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, was reportedly battling with the Treasury until the 11th hour trying to get more money for policing but failed. She has been under pressure from senior officers for weeks to get a better deal. They said there may have been more money and more officers but these trends had not kept pace with the rise in the population. Yet overall per-capita police numbers are now close to record levels. We used to have far fewer police officers and yet they were far more visible. Their presence on the streets was designed to fulfil Robert Peel's first principle of policing, which is to keep order and prevent crime. Police chiefs maintain that they direct scarce resources where they are most needed and yet this is impossible to square with stories of half a dozen officers being sent to arrest someone for sending an injudicious tweet to a school website. A news report just this week is emblematic of the problem: the couple who went to reclaim their own stolen car because the police refused to do anything about it. There have been many cases of bikes put up for sale by thieves and owners having to recover their property because the police were not interested. Our politicians must share the blame for loading the police with tasks they never used to have by passing laws that require any complaint of hurt feelings, however minor or vindictively made, to be investigated. But the police seem content to prioritise these non-crimes over real ones like burglary, thefts of mobile phones or shoplifting. The problem the police have when demanding more money is that the public no longer feels they make the right choices with the resources they have. Nowadays, they are less a force for law and order than a glorified community service, expected to deal with society's ills rather than crime. As a matter of urgency, they need to forge a new social contract with the people they serve. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police Federation pays £15m to officers hit by cyber attack
The Police Federation has paid out £15 million to 19,000 current and former officers who had their personal details compromised and stolen by cyber criminals. Two huge attacks exposed the home addresses of some officers to hackers six years ago, and in March 2022 the federation admitted liability for unlawfully processing officers' personal details by not having proper protection in place. The attacks sparked panic among rank and file officers who feared their safety had been compromised. The federation has admitted that two recently settled group actions 'have had an enormous impact on the finances and assets of the PFEW (Police Federation of England and Wales) and the organisation could not withstand a further claim of this nature'. Hackers accessed Police Federation systems and encrypted several of its databases during the attacks, making them inaccessible. Now the organisation, which represents 145,000 rank and file officers, has agreed to settle the claim for £15 million, inclusive of legal and insurance costs. It had been claimed that the names, email addresses, National Insurance numbers and ranks of around 120,000 police officers had been exposed. A source said: 'This is a huge settlement. It caused huge concern among rank and file police officers up and down the country.' The settlement had been revealed by Monckton Chambers, the law firm. Mukund Krishna, the chief executive officer of the Police Federation, said it was his priority to resolve the two historic action claims that 'hung over the organisation' when he became CEO in July 2023. He added: 'At the end of last year, we agreed a settlement following the employment tribunal ruling against us regarding pension discrimination. 'I am now pleased to say that we have settled the data protection claims brought against PFEW by just under 20,000 members and former members. This claim followed two separate cyber attacks suffered by the federation over six years ago. 'The federation has taken the pragmatic view that settlement of the litigation is in the best interests of both the federation and its members. 'The negotiation of these settlements has required a huge amount of detailed work but will, collectively, provide the federation with much greater financial certainty going forward. This outcome will also allow PFEW to move on and focus all our efforts on transforming the organisation and serving the membership.' A total of £15 million will be paid in stages, which covers all 19,159 claims for damages but also includes legal costs, expenses and the costs of insurance cover. The federation said it did not know how much each claimant would receive from the settlement sum, which is a matter for agreement between the claimants and KP Law, their solicitors. The organisation acknowledged that with almost 20,000 claims, its potential exposure to damages alone was significantly greater than £15 million. In addition to this, it was exposed to many millions of legal costs – both the claimants' costs and its own. It added that 'this financial uncertainty represented a very real threat to PFEW and its ability to move forward'. The federation said it would dispute any further claims that had not been included in the settlement. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Metro
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
‘Highly offensive' ITV show set for second series despite police backlash
A 'highly offensive' ITV comedy show is set to return for a second series despite receiving backlash from the police. Piglets, which follows a group of new police recruits as they train, will officially be returning to our screens. Starring Superintendents Bob Weekes (Mark Heap) and Julie Spry (Sarah Parish), the show originally caused huge controversy. The Police Federation of England and Wales described the show's title – which is based on the slang term 'pig' for police – as being 'highly offensive'. It also received a number of Ofcom complaints from viewers when it aired. Now, however, after pulling in 5.6million views for its six episodes, the show is heading for a second outing. Both Mark and Sarah will reprise their roles as Bob and Julie, as Colin McFarlane, Rebecca Humphries, Ricky Champ, Halema Hussain, Abdul Sessay and Jamie Bisping will also all feature. Joining the cast will also be Madelyn Smedlyn, who featured in series 2 of The Traitors on BBC. In a statement, Nana Hughes, ITV's Head of Comedy, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to bring back the attention-grabbing Piglets for a second series on ITV.' This comes after it was revealed that a 'ridiculous' TV show that never aired in the UK due to the October 7 attack will finally be released two years on. In September 2023, the Australian series C*A*U*G*H*T was released. The six-part series followed four Australian soldiers trapped after a secret mission to the war-torn Behati-Prinsloo, where they are mistaken for American spies and have no way home after their government abandons them. In a press release, the broadcaster shared the show's synopsis, adding that it 'unapologetically pokes fun at modern celebrity culture, social media and 24-hour news while exploring the often outrageous price of fame'. After watching the show, many fans weighed in. More Trending 'Acting and scripting is perfect for a slapstick comedy such as this,' Rohan posted on IMDB. 'If you are easily offended or shocked this is probably not for you. On one level it is silly crude slapstick, but there are lots of little clever jokes hidden away,' rijobe shared. 'Don't be a snob and go into this thinking it is full of great performances and amazing storylines. That is not what it is trying to be. It's a crazy Aussie fever dream and is not trying to be anything else,' Suzie wrote. View More » Piglets will be available to watch on ITV. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Lorraine viewers annoyed by 'more irritating than normal' interview MORE: ITV confirms 2025's Britain's Got Talent live final will be longer than most movies MORE: I'm addicted to David Tennant's 'impossible' game show – despite its critics
