Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has welcomed the Government's offer of a seven per cent increase in pay for police staff, saying it will help attract and retain the best people for the job.

This comes as the PCC gets ready to introduce a new Police and Crime Chief Executive in Rutland - the eighth in two years!

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner said it was critical police forces attracted high-calibre staff and officers capable of handling the increasingly complex nature of crime in the 21st century.

The Government has already accepted the full recommendation of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), ensuring all police officer ranks will receive a seven per cent uplift in their pay from September 1 this year.

And this week it offered police staff the same uplift of seven per cent. If accepted, the rise will also become effective from 1 September. In addition, the Government is offering a seven per cent rise on payments to staff who are asked to be available for work outside their normal hours.

Police Crime Commissioner, Rupert Matthews. Image credit: PCC.

The pay awards represent the joint highest of all public sector workers alongside prison officers.

Mr Matthews said: "Policing is a challenging career, and we need to be attracting the best in the business to put ourselves on the front foot when it comes to outsmarting today's criminals and staying ahead of emerging threats. This pay award will not only help us to entice strong candidates in the first place, it will also help to retain them once they're here so our communities benefit from a top-class workforce for many years to come.

"Police officers and staff work relentlessly on behalf of our communities and their efforts should be justly recognised with a fair pay deal. They have a huge role to play in the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan priorities to keep Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland crime-free and should feel strongly valued and appreciated for the work they do."

Chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen MP told the Commons the officer pay offer represented a 'fair deal' for public sector workers and would help to address cost-of-living pressures. He also said it was 'fiscally responsible' and supported the Prime Minister's plans to cut inflation.

The pay award will not be funded by new borrowing but a reprioritisation of existing budgets to deliver spending to areas where it delivered the greatest value. The Government is looking to increase fees across a range of immigration and nationality routes for those coming to live, work and study in the UK, to help fund the uplift.