West Midlands Police officers and staff have taken time off sick for headaches nearly 400 times, it was revealed today.

Officers reported headaches and migraines on 379 occasions which stopped them from coming into work.

Police staff and community support officers said they had colds or flu which prevented them turning in on eight occasions.

The findings, which cover the last 12 months, are revealed in a new report to the West Midlands Police Authority, but do not show how many officers called in sick or how long they took off.

The report also reveals there are 240 officers on restricted duties – an increase on 13 of the previous year but a drop from a high of 251 in January, 2008.

Officers are placed on restricted duties while they recover from illness or injury that prevents them from front line policing.

Some officers, such as those with conditions such as MS, are permanently restricted.

Restricted officers are often assigned to control rooms or tasked with building up case files.

The report also reveals there were 697 assaults on police officers over the last 12 months.

Officers were the victims of 29 serious assaults, while 13 incidents where police were struck by vehicles were counted as assaults.

There were 567 other, less serious, assaults, while 218 were involved in accidental slips, trips or falls. Last year, the Express & Star revealed that rewards for police and staff at West Midlands Police who did not take sick days, ranging from health spa vouchers to extra annual leave, were being axed.

The Always There scheme was launched in 1997 to reward attendance ended as part of an overhaul of West Midlands Police, led by Chief Constable Chris Sims.

Staffordshire Police said its sickness figures were not available. But last month, it was revealed that warnings have been sent to 29 Staffordshire police officers and staff who frequently claim sick days during Christmas and New Year.

No-one from West Midlands Police was available for comment on the figures today, which are due before the police authority’s personnel committee on Thursday.

Figures released at the end of 2008 suggested that police in the West Midlands had the lowest level of staff absence in the country compared to other forces.

The number of days lost for police officers due to sickness was 7.1 days – the lowest rate in the country.

Last year, it emerged that Wolverhampton City Council had sacked seven workers for phoning in sick.

The move was part of a new “get tough” policy on absenteeism after figures showed the average city council worker missed 11.6 days in the last year, compared to seven in the private sector.