ALMOST half of all retiring police officers in Greater Manchester left the force on enhanced medical pensions last year -- diverting funds away from fighting crime.

Former Bolton detectives are thought to be among those who retired on ill health grounds, although official figures for Central and Astley Bridge divisions are not available.

Today Greater Manchester Police bosses pledged to tackle the problem, which is also widespread in forces across Britain.

A GMP spokesman said it recognised that high levels of sickness and ill health retirement had an impact on the service the force could offer the community.

He added: "Policing is by no means an easy career. Officers deal with situations daily which many of us hope we will never have to face.

"The stresses and strains of the profession mean that an ill health retirement scheme will always be a necessity."

Medical pensions are popular because they are linked to the stock market and therefore potentially more lucrative.

Retirements are also funded out of current police budgets, diverting money away from frontline crime fighting.

But the GMP spokesman said that it had already reduced the number of officers taking medical pensions from a peak of 207 five years ago.

He said the force now expected around one per cent of its total officers to leave on ill health grounds this year, fewer than 100 officers in total.

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