MORALE amongst fed-up police officers in the area is the lowest in the country, a new survey has found.

The survey, conducted by the Police Federation, said 71 per cent of officers questioned felt personal morale was low, more than any other force in England and Wales.

Worryingly, the number of officers saying they felt morale was low was up by just under 20 per cent on last year.

Officers blamed a range of reasons including pay, workload and the management of change within the police.

The most frequently answered cause for low morale was how the police are treated as a whole, with 90 per cent of respondents saying it was the cause of the negativity.

The results did not make for good reading for West Mercia Police with 95 per cent saying they felt that morale across the force was low, an increase of 14 per cent on last year’s survey.

More than three quarters of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with pay and two fifths of officers worried about their personal finances on a daily basis.

West Mercia Police also topped the chart for officers who felt they were not fairly treated and third in a list of forces whose officers said they intended to leave the police within two years.

Officers said morale during work and the impact on health, family and officer’s personal lives were among the main reasons for them wanting to leave.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “The health and wellbeing of police officers and staff is a clear priority within my Safer West Mercia Plan.

"Major investments have been made in new police equipment, estates and infrastructure to give police officers much improved tools and support to carry out their challenging work".

"I am aware that recent officer recruitment drew more than 900 applications, which suggests that many people still view policing in West Mercia as an attractive career path."