Hundreds of police officers in Avon and Somerset were signed off work last year with stress, anxiety and PTSD, as fresh figures reveal a growing mental health crisis in policing.

A Freedom of Information request shows 424 officers in the force took time off for mental ill health in 2024–25, a rise of 10 per cent on the previous year when 383 officers were signed off.

The local figures reflect a worrying national picture. Across the UK, more than 17,700 police officers were signed off for mental health reasons in the last financial year. That is 22 per cent higher than the year before, and a staggering 182 per cent increase compared with when the data was first gathered 12 years ago.

Of the 45 police forces that provided comparable data for both years, 33 reported an increase in officers being signed off due to mental ill health.

Tom Gent, chair of Avon and Somerset Police Federation, said the figures laid bare the intense pressures facing officers on the frontline.

"This huge rise is a sign of the stress that police officers are under," he said. "The number of traumatic incidents that officers attend is far beyond what a normal person would ever experience in their whole life.

"That takes a massive toll, alongside the high workloads and constant pressure. Officers want to do the best they can for every case, but it's an impossible task when the workload is so high. That creates anxiety and stress, knowing you simply can't do what you want to do."

Mr Gent said the situation was driving officers out of the service and leaving many "broken".

"We need support from the Government," he said. "The national Federation has talked about this through its Copped Enough campaign. We know pay hasn't kept up with inflation, but this is about far more than pay.

"It's about the stress officers are under, and retention figures show very clearly that officers have had enough. We're seeing people broken and having to be signed off work."

He added that responsibility for managing expectations needed to sit with both police forces and central government.

"That accountability for workload needs to be owned by forces and by the Government," he said. "They also need to be honest with the public about the pressures policing is under and what officers can realistically achieve."

Mr Gent said the Police Federation would continue to offer confidential support to officers who feel unable to speak openly within their force.

"We will always be there for officers," he said. "They can come to us confidentially, especially if they're afraid of speaking to supervisors or the organisation. We advocate for them with senior officers and nationally."

In response to the growing crisis, a new 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line has been launched by the National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo.

The service, available on 0300 131 2789, is staffed by expert counsellors trained to support those working in policing who are experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts. Calls are confidential and independent, with no information shared with police forces, occupational health teams or line managers.

Mr Gent welcomed the move, calling it "a real positive".

"The counsellors officers speak to understand the world of policing and the pressures officers are under," he said. "For someone who feels like they've got nowhere else to go, that understanding can make all the difference."