HUNDREDS of police officers from the West Mercia force joined a mass demonstration in London following a bitter row over backdated pay.

About 300 officers from our force joined the march of up to 25,000 police officers on the streets of the capital yesterday.

The Police Federation, which represents police officers, says the 2.5 per cent pay rise should have been backdated to September 1 instead of December 1.

Police say the pay rise is effectively a 1.9 per cent increase for officers in England and Wales even though the Scottish government agreed to backdate the pay for their officers.

Sgt Jane Fitzpatrick, aged 39, who polices the Droitwich area and joined the march, said: "The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she doesn't feel safe on the streets but doesn't want to pay the people who keep the streets safe.

"Three months back pay is a sting in the tail for younger officers on a lesser wage. But the major issue is the lack of trust. For me the issue was that the agreement wasn't honoured. The way the Home Secretary has gone about this is underhand. She went into arbitration with no intention of honouring it. It has wasted public money and time."

Sgt Terry Shutt, aged 45, based in Pershore, has served as a police officer for the last 22 years and joined the march as Federation representative for C division.

He said the Home Secretary, Redditch MP Jacqui Smith, had now lost all credibility in the eyes of the police.

He added: "The reason we are here is to bring to public attention the fact that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has treated us in an abominable fashion and the way she and the Government have displayed a total lack of integrity in relation to the negotiation of pay.

"I'm angry and dismayed - not for myself but for other officers, particularly younger officers. As police officers we don't have the right to strike. All we can do is show our anger by coming down here to London and expressing our views publicly. We wanted to have at least 10 per cent of all officers from England and Wales here and we have achieved that. There have been unprecedented numbers."

Some officers were jeered by a small group of anarchist counter-protesters and the Police Federation urged participants not to react to taunts.

Former Labour MP Tony Benn joined the marchers, who queued part-way up Park Lane and back down to Hyde Park Corner as the march set off - a distance of about half a mile.

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