STRESS and depression are blamed for more than 20 per cent of sick days taken by police officers in Hampshire, a report to the police authority has revealed.

The Chief Constable's report said officers took an average of just over nine days sick leave in the past year.

The two most significant reasons given were skeletal conditions, such as back or knee strains - which accounted for 27 per cent of the total days absent - and psychiatric conditions, such as stress and depression - accounting for 23 per cent of the total.

Hampshire Police Federation chairman Sergeant Keith Ward said: "This does not surprise me. And it might be a conservative figure, because I think a lot of other sickness, like headaches or upset stomachs, might be caused by stress.

"It's a very stressful job. You see so many mutilated bodies that it gets to you."

Sgt Ward said police officers tend to suffer from problems with their backs and knees because they spend so much time on their feet.

The other most frequent reasons given for taking time off sick were infectious diseases and respiratory conditions.

Police support staff took off marginally more time than the officers, with psychiatric conditions accounting for 25 per cent of their absence.

A Home Office stress audit and a back pain management programme are to be implemented to look at the two main causes of illness.

The stress audit will use questionnaires and focus groups to ask staff for their views on issues, including job satisfaction, working relationships, physical health and psychological wellbeing.

The back pain management programme, scheduled to start this month, will give six weeks of treatment to a core group of staff absent with back-related problems.

This will include treatment from specialist physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists.

Sgt Ward welcomed the moves, saying: "I think any incentive that's directed towards acknowledging these problems and helping officers to get better has to be good."

He added that police culture has changed, and officers are now more likely to admit to suffering from stress.