Birmingham Police Some Of Most Unfit In The Country

27 May 2014, 06:25 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Police in the West Midlands are some of the most unfit in the country.

Hundreds of police officers have failed new fitness tests which are due to become mandatory later this year, official figures show.

Interim results submitted by 39 forces to the College of Policing showed that 851 officers fell short, with 3% failing overall in more than 30,000 tests.

The West Midlands Force had the second highest failure rate behind Suffolk.  Down the road West Mercia and Warwickshire Police came in third.

They have to do a 15-metre ``bleep'' shuttle run.  The new fitness testing, which will become compulsory in September, was brought in after recommendations made by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor.

Humberside and Northumbria Police were the only two forces out of a total of 43 in England and Wales who boasted a 100% pass rates for both male and female officers.

Officers with special units are expected to perform at higher levels, with dog handlers required to complete level 5.7 and firearms officers able to do level 7.6.

Mr Winsor also recommended that from 2018 the tests should be made harder, using challenges based on the type of things an officer might face on duty, but this is being considered by the College of Policing in case it negatively impacts on women.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Price said: "The results to date are encouraging and show the vast majority of officers tested are fit.

"Police forces are sending their results to the College on a quarterly basis and an equality impact assessment is being carried out on those results.

"New guidance will be issued to forces later this year with a strong emphasis on providing supportive measures to help officers pass the test.''