Over 50% of police constables could be trainees in two years

Figures shown at the Regional Pay Conference in Reading show that probationer police constables could outnumber qualified officers in the region within three years.

The conference was called by Reading MP Martin Salter and will be attended by senior politicians and trades unionists as well as the chief constable of Thames Valley Police.

They discussed the introduction of a 'south east weighting' similar to London weighting, to tackle the problem of rising house prices.

The police are just the tip of the iceberg, but in their line of work there is no substitute for experience Martin Salter MP

Andrew Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, represented the government.

Thames Valley Police have been losing a large number of experienced officers to the Metropolitan Police, who pay substantially more.

Figures prepared for the conference by chief constable Peter Neyroud show that the proportion of fully qualified police officers fell by 6.5% in the year to September 2003.

He predicts that if officers continue to leave at the current rate, the ratio will be down to 49.8% by September 2006.

Conference organiser Martin Salter MP said: "These very worrying figures from Thames Valley Police reveal a frightening regional trend and are precisely why we are bringing together public services staff, unions and employers to press the case for regional pay allowances in high cost areas.

"The police are just the tip of the iceberg, but in their line of work there is no substitute for experience."