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More than 43,000 of the 140,000 police in England and Wales have less than five years on the job, new HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke has revealed. He said the large number of recruits is the result of a Home Office drive to deal with a low of 126,300 full-time officers in 2019.

Another 20,000 are to be recruited by next year to fill gaps left by experienced officers leaving.

Mr Cooke said inexperienced staff require “intensive” supervision from seniors at a time when serious crime rates are soaring.

As a result, offences including burglary, car crime, ­shoplifting and even robberies are often not investigated properly. Mr Cooke revealed: “Thirty one per cent (43,471) have got less than five years and of that 27 per cent (11,737) have got less than one year.

“There is a national shortage of detectives. We have direct entry detectives now but they are young and inexperienced, and in the short term it will continue to be a problem.”

In a report on the issue, Mr Cooke wrote: “Many newly trained or direct entry detectives carry out high volumes of investigations ­without any experience in making arrests, building case files or attending court.”

There are fears that more experienced staff will leave due to low pay and morale. A Police Federation survey of more than 57,000 of the organisation’s members found almost 18 per cent were actively seeking new careers and a further 50 per cent were considering leaving.

Steve Hartshorn, the federation’s national chair, said: “Many have been forced to quit the service they feel so passionately about, and plenty more plan on joining them, as they simply cannot afford to continue their policing career.

“It is sad to watch forces lose ­talented, experienced officers and worrying to witness this at a time where we are aiming to recruit more so we can better protect the public.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “It is clear that such an unprecedented surge in recruitment introduces a high number of new officers into policing. Experienced officers are incredibly valuable, which is why we also work closely with forces to manage the retention and progression of existing officers.”

Courts backlog puts justice on hold

Crime victims are waiting years to see offenders face justice due to a crown court backlog. More than 500 trials have been delayed for over two years, campaign group Fair Trials revealed.

The judicial logjam has grown to 61,000 cases thanks to Covid. And it could get worse, with barristers now striking over pay.

Alan Collins, at Hugh James Solicitors, said: “Delay, of course, has a corrosive effect because memories fade, witnesses may no longer remember, let alone still be around to give evidence. There is also the psychological strain on all those involved.”

More than 500 defendants have been remanded in custody for over two years when the maximum should be six months.

The Ministry of Justice said judges “have been prioritising remand cases following the impact of the pandemic”.

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