POLICE officers are set to claim back around 200 years of owed overtime despite staffing pressures in the force.

Around 2,200 officers in Thames Valley Police will be looking to claim back overtime after a government regulation was challenged in the High Court.

The 1994 police regulation meant officers could not claim the first 30 minutes of overtime in pay or lieu, but the Police Federation has won the right to claim back the time.

Martin Elliot, chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, which represents officers below superintendent level, said they were trying to claim back the time for officers but would not jeopodise staffing levels.

He said most officers would have worked two hours per week overtime, equalling around 33 days per year since the regulation first came in a total of around 200 years worth of overtime for the force as a whole. He said: "We are in negotiations with Thames Valley Police at the moment but it would not be a case of more than 2,000 officers coming into High Wycombe and saying 'We want the next three weeks off'. That would be nonsense.

"The time would be taken at the discretion of the organisation, like during the winter months when there are plenty of officers to cover."

He said they are looking to negotiate with Thames Valley Police a total of 24 days for each officer from overtime worked over the last eight years so they "can wipe the slate clean".

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "We are in consultation with the Thames Valley Police Federation regarding these issues and we are exploring avenues in which we can go forward together. This affects the every police officer in the country and we are looking to try get a win-win situation for both sides."