Fifty more regular police officers are available for duty every day in Northern Ireland than a year ago following a reduction in sickness absence, it was revealed tonight.
Details released by the Policing Board showed the average number of regular officers off on sick leave each day in September was 418 (5.6 per cent) - a reduction of 53 officers a day from a year before.
Commenting on the progress, Ms Pauline McCabe, chair of the Board's Human Resources Committee said tackling sickness absence was an integral part of the PSNI human resources planning strategy.
Strident efforts were obviously being made to tackle the issue among officers, she said, something which the committee "very much welcomes as it means that more police officers are available for duty".
Ms McCabe added: "The accountability in place will continue to ensure that the performance of the Police Service is scrutinised by the Policing Board on behalf of the community the PSNI serves with the goal of making our streets safer."
The planning strategy set targets for the Chief Constable to reduce the average level of sickness absence for officers to 17 days per officer a year by March 2005.
Figures given to the committee today showed that with six months to go to the deadline officers were doing better than hoped - just over seven days sick leave per officer in the past six months.
PA