THE decision to delay the 2017 police officer pay award is yet another blow to police officer morale, the Chairman of Thames Valley Police Federation has said.

Police Constable Craig O’Leary was reacting to the news that the police officer pay rise award announcement for officers in England and Wales – usually made in July – will not now be made until September.

He said: “Officers have been hanging on and hanging on, waiting for this announcement.

“It’s yet another body blow for all police officers.

“Left in limbo yet again. I’ve heard some officers saying, ‘well this is a good thing that they’ve delayed it, because potentially they’re looking at giving us an uplift beyond 1 per cent’.

“I don’t necessarily share that optimism, personally.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales and the Superintendents’ Association have once again asked for a pay increase of 2.8 per cent for all police officers.

PC O’Leary said he had contacted all the MPs in the area since the General Election in June outlining why police officers deserve more than a one per cent pay rise, about the cost of living in the area and ‘the current plight of policing’.

He added he is yet to receive any replies from those MPs.