Police could win £500 just for going to work

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Officers who have not taken any time off sick over a nine-month period are entered into a prize draw.

A total of £4,000 is up for grabs and smaller prizes of £100 and £50 are also awarded.

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Rewards: Chief Superintendent Alan Cooper has set up the cash incentives scheme

The policeman behind the incentive scheme says it has led to a huge reduction in absent officers.

However, the move has angered crime prevention groups who called for officers with persistently bad attendance records to be sacked.

A spokesman for Parents Against Violence said: "It is a disgrace that officers who are paid handsomely as it is are being given these sort of incentive schemes to get them into work.

"It goes against the whole ethos of being a police officer. If you can't hack it you should be sacked."

The scheme was introduced in Greater Manchester Police's South Manchester division last year with a total prize pot of £3,000.

Now the prizes have been increased to help motivate officers further and cut absenteeism.

Chief Superintendent Alan Cooper, who made £4,000 available from his budget for the scheme, said: "If you are ill, the thought of a couple of hundred pounds isn't going to make people come into work.

"They might if it's just a sniffle."

"We were eighth out of the 12 divisions within Greater Manchester Police in terms of sickness absence and now we are third.

"I picked the idea up from industry where they incentivise staff."

Only staff who avoid having a day off for nine months are entered into the draw and those with a previous bad attendance record are excluded.

Mr Cooper added: "This is just one of the measures which has cut sickness absence dramatically.

"If people are off sick, they get a call to see if they are OK.

"We interview them when they get back to find out if we can help them improve their record."