Hundreds of police are taking long-term sick leave because of illnesses including stress.

Sussex Police officers were off for more than 28 working days on 266 separate occasions last year - equivalent to one in 12 officers being ill for a stretch of more than five weeks. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that 1,941 officers took up to eight days off on 3,432 occasions and 380 took between eight and 20 days off 428 times.

Colds and flu, stomach upsets, back pain and undergoing or recovering from an operation were the main reasons given for absences.

Overall, the number of sick days taken was down compared with 2006.

While no figure was available for the amount of money the absences have cost the tax payer, it could run into millions of pounds.

Inspector Brian Stockham, chairman of the Sussex Police Federation, said officers often had to deal with death and child abuse cases which could lead to posttraumatic stress disorder. He said that on one occasion a psychologist told him a fellow officer had the "worst case of psychological burnout that they had ever seen".

He said: "The public have to accept that this is part of what we do."

The force warned that the figures may be artificially inflated as some officers could have reported sick more than once and in different categories.

Individuals would also have been counted twice where their period of sickness covered more than one calendar year.

Under sick pay regulations, police officers are entitled to six months' absence on full pay in any 12-month period and half pay for the second period of six months.

The continuous absence pay ends after 12 months.

The figures do not differentiate sickness absences from those resulting from an injury while on duty.

But separate data also released to The Argus shows that officers suffered 788 violent attacks last year.

Between April 2004 and April 2007 there were more than 2,500 separate assaults on officers.

Insp Stockham said: "It is encouraging to see that the number of sick days as a whole is reducing because it shows that the workforce is predominantly healthy and getting back to work quicker.

"It is a tribute to our occupational therapy and welfare people. They are worth their weight in gold."

Insp Stockham said Sussex Police had been "performing miracles" by reducing crime rates across the county and detecting more crimes than ever.

sam.underwood@theargus.co.uk

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