THREE thousand British police officers have been e-mailed by recruiters trying to tempt them to leave Britain for New Zealand.

The New Zealand national force needs 600 extra officers and cannot find them at home or in Australia. To plug the gap the recruiters in Wellington have uncovered details of officers who have shown an interest in emigrating in the past and e-mailed them.

The New Zealanders are offering a £17,000 starting salary which is £5,000 less than many of the 150,000 officers in British forces. But New Zealand officers believe a pleasant climate, low cost of living and comparatively low crime rate will be attractive. The country boasts one of the safest communities in the world.

New Zealand wants a hundred British officers with at least three years’ experience. The British officers are in demand because the legal systems and culture are similar and they would not need to learn English. But they will have to be retrained before they can start work in one of the 400 police stations among a force of 7,000 which is equal to a single British urban force.

Current overtime rates may also deter potential recruits. On Saturday The Times reported that some officers in London earn up to £100,000 a year.

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