CONCERNS have been raised over the workload of Redbridge Police with some officers putting in up to 814 extra hours last year.

A staggering £870,000 was paid in overtime in the year ending March 2009 with four constables and two sergeants earning between £9,500 and £11,500 on top of their regular wage.

Critics argue officers are unlikely to perform to their best capabilities under such conditions and the cash would be better spent on fresh recruits to pound the beat.

Met Police Federation chairman Peter Smyth told the Guardian that investigators in Redbridge have the largest caseloads in London - although this has been disputed by borough commander Chief Supt Peter Terry.

Mr Smyth said: "We don't want officers to work too much overtime and should be paid for a 40 hour week.

"Decision making can be impaired by tiredness so excessive overtime would be of concern for officers involved in high speed pursuits through traffic.

"It is not clear how much of this is extra days compared with extra hours on a shift. We would always advise more officers as a better use of resources."

John MacHnicki, 60, of Queen Mary's Gate, South Woodford, spent more than 30 years with the police before retiring in 2000 while serving in Redbridge.

The father-of-two said: "There are many factors to consider regarding overtime such as whether it was compulsory or voluntary and what the shift patterns are.

"There used to be a standard shift of six hours but now sometimes officers are working ten or 12 hours and if they make an arrest at the end of that then they could end up doing 13 or 14 hours straight which could be a problem."

Overtime for police constables ranges between £14.12 and £33.27 depending on experience and the nature of the work undertaken. This means between 345 and 814 hours would be need to be served to earn £11,500.

Chief Supt Terry said overtime is a highly flexible way to get more officers where they are needed quickly.

He added: "I wouldn't agree that cash would be better spent on more officers on the basis that those that use the most overtime are the most skilled with specialist roles. There are also the additional costs of training and equipping more officers to take into account.

"We try to create a management structure where officers feel comfortable saying 'I feel too tired today' and we will find another less critical role for them. I have done it myself in the past when I've not slept as the baby has been crying all night.

"And we support the recent Police Review campaign to make sure officers are not tried when they are travelling home after work and suffer accidents.

"It's one of the biggest killers of police officers and that's why ours get free train, tube and bus travel."