Run over, burnt and bitten by dogs: the 1,400 injuries to Met officers in a year

Figures show officers slipped on wet floors, walked into doors, were run over by cars, fell off ladders, cut themselves, got electric shocks, and were bitten or attacked by police dogs and horses.

Others burned themselves preparing food, were exposed to CS gas or hurt while taking part in teambuilding games.

A total of 180 were hospitalised, with injuries including broken bones, electric shocks and an allergic reaction.

Two were shot, although it is not clear whether the wounds were accidental or sustained in the line of duty.

A total of 234 officers suffered serious physical assaults.

The figures, for the year ending 31 March, were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

All the incidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive, which requires organisations to keep an accident book and record all injuries and diseases that result in death or an injury serious enough to take a person off normal duties for at least three days.

A spokesman for the Met said the figures included those sustained during police operations and in the office, canteen and kitchens.

"It is difficult to say for sure if an accident is caused by the individual or by third-party involvement," he said.

"For example, you could say that a sprained ankle sustained pursuing a suspect would not have happened if it were not for a third party.

"Then again it could have happened because the route chosen had uneven ground or because of the tactics chosen to apprehend the suspect."

One police source said a large percentage of accidents were due to health and safety failings. "I have heard of cases where officers have slipped up on wet floors, fallen off ladders or buildings when they have been trying to get entry to a property, or even got muscle sprain in a football game," he said.

"The nature of the job means police officers put themselves in dangerous situations but they also do the silly things any of us do, like cutting a finger chopping a salad."

A spokesman for the Met's safety and health risk management team said it was always looking at ways to prevent common accidents. "We monitor accident trends and are required to take action where the trend is upward."

In total, 1,355 officers suffered an injury that required hospital treatment or at least three days off.

More than 180 hurt themselves slipping, tripping or falling over, with 43 requiring a stay in hospital.

The most common cause of injury was being hit by a moving vehicle.

Almost 300 officers were run over - some by vehicles driven by colleagues.