Psychological tests are to be introduced for police officers to counter a "massive" increase in stress-related health problems.

The move by the Home Office was welcomed today by the Sussex branch of the Police Federation.

Graham Alexander, branch joint secretary, said: "I very much support the idea.

"There has been an absolutely huge rise in stress problems, not only with officers and support staff going off work but with people too frightened or embarrassed to even talk about it.

"They perceive a stigma attached to anyone who even suggests they are stressed.

"This problem forms a large percentage of my workload and I find it tends to affect people who work hard and provide a good service."

Mr Alexander's only reservation about the Home Office plan was that it was treating the symptoms rather than the cause.

He said police officers had been inundated with new demands and pressures in recent years.

Murder squad detectives, officers who hunt paedophiles and even traffic wardens could get regular stress checks to monitor their mental health.

It is part of a £15 million Government strategy, agreed with the police service, to try to reduce sickness, absenteeism and early retirement among officers.

It will also combat the "macho" culture within the police which deters officers from complaining about the pressures of the job.

Chief Superintendent Mike McAndrew, a member of the working group which studied the plan, said: "Psychological testing is about recognising people are suffering from stress.

"At the moment we are only talking about the principle, about whether or not there are certain jobs more stressful than others and whether people carrying out those jobs ought to get more monitoring."

The testing would involve officers in the most stressful jobs being asked to complete a health questionnaire on a regular basis to monitor the pressure they feel they are under.