A survey by the Police Federation has found that 13% of Kent Police officers cannot afford essential living costs.

As the cost of living crisis continues, officers say they are low in morale and do not feel respected by the government.

The annual 'Pay and Morale Survey' published by the Police Federation has revealed that almost half of officers in Kent worry about their personal finances every day.

Three in four officers were dissatisfied with their overall remuneration (including basic pay and allowances).

And 64% of respondents from Kent Police, almost two-thirds, felt they were worse off financially than they were five years ago.

Following the pandemic, officers did not receive a pay rise, something which they argue should be reviewed by an independent pay body.

With 13% struggling to even cover essential living costs, the Police Federation says this was expected with the cost of living crisis hitting households hard.

Neil Mennie, from the Kent Police Federation, said: "This is a difficult time for everybody. This isn't about us trying to differentiate from anyone else who is struggling.

"We are literally just seeking what we deem to be fair pay for our officers.

"Kent isn't the cheapest county to live in and our officers want a family and to be able to afford a property and things like that.

"Not only did we not see a pay rise last year but also with the rising costs of everything else like fuel for getting to and from work, shopping and rent – it's all having an impact.

"It is endemic of a wider problem at the moment but I'm afraid we've been suffering with this for some time."

A massive 91% of respondents from Kent Police also said they did not feel respected by the government.

On top of this, around two-thirds said they would not recommend joining the police to others.

Mr Mennie added: "When there are horrendous stories coming out about certain officers, not necessarily in this force, my colleagues do get affected by that.

"It does upset them because the vast majority are trying to do a good and professional job."

In total, 78% of officers reported that morale currently feels low within Kent Police.

According to the Kent Police Federation this low mood is down to a number of factors, but with 66% of officers saying their workload is too high, stress could play a big role.

Mr Mennie said: "We're still in a stage where we have far more work than we do officers, which is going to cause a lot of stress.

"Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic career, but it does come with high pressure and high workload.

"So I think it's a number of things that have eaten away and made officers feel lower than they should do at the moment."

The survey showed a similar situation across England and Wales.