Police forces across the UK have paid out hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for injuries sustained by police officers and civilian members of staff.

Many of the accidents for which compensation has been paid out have involved trips, slips and falls. One police officer won £16,610 in compensation after he tripped over a pile of blankets while in pursuit of a suspect.

Nottinghamshire Police alone has paid out almost £450,000 over the last five years to staff who have been hurt in workplace accidents. In one case, a staff member who tripped over some photocopier paper won £8,130, while another received £18,400 for a back injury she suffered when she fell off a chair. Another member of staff slipped on an empty bottle in a car park and was awarded £4,450.

An officer working for Humberside Police won £11,450 after he tripped over a bag that had been left in a corridor and suffered a sprained wrist.

The largest compensation settlement, however, was awarded to an officer who slipped on ice in a loading bay and suffered a back injury. The officer received damages of £43,000.

Whilst some people may argue that the payments made to serving police officers are indicative of a burgeoning ‘compensation culture’, all employers have a legal duty to assess health and safety risks in the workplace and take reasonable steps to remove or minimise those risks.