“SUPER PCs” earning £40,000 a year will be created under a police pay plan proposed by the Home Office and chief constables.

Much of the millions of pounds of overtime pay spent each year would also be “bought out” and the two-year probationary period for talented recruits abandoned under the reforms, The Times has learnt.

The creation of the new “advanced constables” will put top constables on a par with many professionals and junior managers. The extra pay would go to officers running the Government’s new safer neighbourhood teams, which include auxiliaries and civilian staff.

The teams will eventually cover every part of England and Wales, providing the local backbone of policing.

Specialists, such as detectives working within Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorist branch, could also earn the extra cash. The money might also be used to attract experts from finance, computing or intelligence analysis to join the police.

Chief constables believe that short-circuiting the traditional probationary training could also attract young managers from the commercial world.

Under the proposals, national pay guidelines would be relaxed to allow individual forces to offer extra cash to attract recruits or prevent trained officers from being poached.

Ministers and chief constables believe the proposals will reform practices dating back to Victorian times, but they could face fierce opposition from junior ranks.

The proposals, in a paper entitled “Rewarding Skills and Performance”, were presented last week at a national board meeting. The paper hopes for agreement early in 2006. The current pay and conditions package ends in September next year. The paper says: “We propose that future pay arrangements for police officers should more closely reflect the professional nature of the job.”

The paper suggests overtime payments made for some specialist jobs such as protection duties for VIPs or undercover surveillance could “consolidated in lieu of overtime”. The average overtime payment for a uniformed constable in the Metropolitan Police is £4,000 a year. Detective constables can earn double that. Average overtime for sergeants is £5,000.

Earlier this year The Times revealed that some Scotland Yard constables and sergeants were now earning £100,000 a year with overtime. The current system of double-time for some overtime work could also be abandoned. Many of the ideas reflect calls for reform made by Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and Bob Quick, the Chief Constable of Surrey.

In a statement, Rachel Whittaker, leader of the police employer’s side including the Home Office, police authorities and chief constables, and Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Authority said: “We will ensure police officers are appropriately rewarded for the important work they do.” But Police Federation officials anticipate problems. One said: “There are lots of contentious areas. ”

There are fears that the changes could reduce police numbers to save money. The changes would mean greater use of cheaper auxiliaries and community support officers, overseen by the super constables. “The community support officer is becoming the constable of five years ago. The advanced constable is now the same as a sergeant used to be,” said the official.

WHAT THEY EARN

Constables’ pay now:

On recruitment: £20,397
After training: £22,770
After two years’ probation: £24,090
Top salary after ten years: £32,025

Sergeants’ pay now:

On appointment: £32,025
Top salary after four years: £35,991

Inspectors’ pay now:

On appointment: £41,034
Top salary after three years: £44,508
London officers receive up to £6,219 extra

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