Nearly one in five police officers plan to quit within the next two years amid low morale and dissatisfaction over pay, research suggests.

An annual survey by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) also found that 19% of officers polled never or almost never have enough money to pay for essentials.

The Federation, which represents more than 130,000 officers up to the rank of chief inspector, published the results of its yearly Pay and Morale Survey on Wednesday.

Of the 36,669 officers who responded, 18% said they planned to resign either as soon as possible or within the next two years.

The top reasons were morale (98%), how the police are treated by the Government (96%) and pay (95%).

More than four in five (83%) of those surveyed said they were “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” over pay.

Being able to protect the public effectively rests on a knife edge

The Police Federation said officers have faced a real-terms pay cut of more than 20% since 2010, rising to 30% for officers on the lowest pay levels.

PFEW national chairman Steve Hartshorn said: “Police officers are reaching breaking point and are leaving the service in their droves as every element of their pay and conditions has been gradually eroded in the space of a decade.

“Record numbers are resigning over inadequate pay and conditions. We are losing some exceptional officers simply because they cannot afford to stay in the service, with an alarming number unable to afford monthly essentials.

“The latest figures indicate 8,117 police officers left the service in England and Wales in the year ending March 2022 – the highest number of leavers since comparable records began, and at least 1,800 of those officers who joined under the Government’s Uplift Programme have already voluntarily resigned.”

Police forces have been asked to recruit 20,000 officers over a three-and-a-half-year period up to March 2023, to replace those axed during austerity.

Officers have also faced having to cover for other emergency services during recent strikes, when they themselves do not have the right to take industrial action.

Mr Hartshorn added: “The results of our survey clearly illustrate the anger and disillusionment of police officers across England and Wales.

“Many have stopped expecting any recognition from the Government for their unique responsibilities and the restrictions imposed on their industrial rights which is, quite frankly, dangerous.

“Being able to protect the public effectively rests on a knife edge.

“Without sufficient investment in policing, we will see a further detrimental rise in resignations, and officers will not be able to keep up with the new technology innovations criminals use, will not be able to stretch resources to attend all crimes, and, ultimately, will not be able to keep our communities safe from the rise in violent crime.

“It is paramount the service is provided with long-term investment, instead of single-year settlements to futureproof the service. The Government must listen and not ignore the needs of the service because they do not have the right to strike.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “Policing is a career like no other and we need officers to keep communities safe and cut crime. We are injecting record funds into policing and giving officers the support, training and powers they need to crack down on crime.

“The Government remains on track to deliver its pledge to recruit 20,000 police officers by March 2023. The overwhelming majority of new recruits recently surveyed report positive job satisfaction and want to remain officers for the rest of their working lives.”