Police get wrong pay in wages error

Around half were underpaid and half overpaid this month under the much-criticised H3 scheme.

The back-office H3 is run by Hampshire County Council with Hampshire Police and the fire service.

Acting deputy chief constable David Pryde said: ‘Allowance payments to 1,300 people were incorrect. Approximately half were underpaid and half overpaid and this mistake has now been rectified.

‘We were already working with colleagues across the H3 partnership to make sure we understand the root of any problems and find long term solutions.

‘This must continue as it is crucial staff and officers have confidence that they will receive the right payments when they work so hard.’

H3 was introduced in 2014 in a bid to save cash.

Hampshire Police Federation chairman John Apter said: ‘It saddens me because when the concept of back office functions being provided by the local authority, police and fire together I thought that was a rally good alternative rather than going to G4S.

‘The service was poorly implemented, poorly designed and poorly delivered.

‘That was the catalyst for some really negative things happening to our members.

‘There’s one thing you don’e mess with and that’s people’s pay.’

He added he himself had been overpaid by about £23 but some officers had been underpaid up to £155.

‘For some of our members it makes a different to whether they can put fuel in their car or not,’ he added.

Mr Apter is calling for a forensic audit of the H3 system to see if it has saved the police force cash.

He added: ‘Even the really good people behind the scenes trying to make this work, it’s not the people it’s the processes, I fear whatever they do they’re not going to get the confidence of the rank-and-file.’