Island police officers are to get a 4.75% pay rise from September - taking the starting salary for a new constable to £33,690.

It was announced last month that the minimum starting salary for a constable would be increased to £32,163 in a move to address ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. Now the UK has announced that all officers are to get a 4.75% salary increase from September. As the Isle of Man had parity for police pay and conditions, the increase will apply here too.

The Constabulary posed: ‘The salary needs to reflect the role and the work that our officers do in looking after their communities.

‘The UK Government [has] announced a 4.75% salary increase for all officers from September meaning the starting pay for a new officer will now be £33,690, rising to £48,231 after three years’ service.’

The Manx force’s struggle to recruit and retain staff over the last few years has been well documented in recent months. It has found it difficult to compete with salaries being offered in the private sector while too many applicants fail to successfully navigate the recruitment process. Last month, Media IoM reported that retired Isle of Man police officers are being asked to return to the force to help solve the constabulary’s recruitment crisis.

Earlier this year the Department of Home Affairs chief executive officer Dan Davies told a Tynwald scrutiny committee that the island’s Chief Constable believes he can’t deliver policing as effectively as he wants without more funding.

Russ Foster, who has been in post for over a year, said there are areas of financial risk including the large number of officers leaving over the issue of pay.

Welcoming last month’s increase in police officers’ minimum salary, the Chief Constable said: ‘For a number of years now the Constabulary has seen diminishing numbers of applicants to become police officers.

‘I really welcome the support of the DHA to uplift the starting pay for Constables on the lower end of the pay scale and in turn make the pay for police officers more comparable with other emergency services and criminal justice partners.’

The Manx Constabulary is currently recruiting for Police Constables and Special Constables. A number of drop-in sessions have been organised - the next ones taking place on Wednesday (August 7) at the Sea Terminal Costa between 12 and 2pm and on August 22 at the Coffee Station in the House of Manannan, again between 12 and 2pm.

An information evening will also be held at 6.30pm this coming Wednesday at the Mike Hailwood Centre at the TT Grandstand, starting at 6.30pm. Applications close on September 6.