The cost of overtime for West Midlands Police has jumped by almost 60 per cent in the last decade, new figures reveal today.

The police overtime bill for the force has increased from £11.4m in 2000/01 to almost £18m in 2009/10 — meaning each officer is now pocketing an average of £2,081 on top of their annual salary.

The bill peaked in 2007/08 at £24.1m, but it has been slashed by more than £3.3m last year as the force att-empts to reduce costs in the wake of stinging Government cuts to budgets.

Staffordshire Police spent £5.3m last year on police overtime, up 13 per cent on a decade ago, averaging £2,442 an officer, while West Mercia’s bill spiralled to £4.9m from £3.8m, an average of £2.034 per officer.

West Mercia too has managed to reduce payouts by £906,000 the last year, while payments have increased in Staffordshire by £308,000.

West Midlands Police is being forced to make savings of £125m and Staffordshire Police £39m as Government funding for the police service is cut by 20 per cent in real terms by 2014/15.

West Mercia Police force, which covers the Wyre Forest and Shropshire,  is looking to save up to £10m over the next three years. Police funding is falling from £9.3bn in 2011/12 to £8.5bn in 2014/15.

West Midlands Police has warned that it faces losing 2,250 jobs, with the Staff-ordshire force shedding 600 jobs and West Merica 300.

The police overtime bill for forces across England and Wales has run up to more than £3.8bn in the last 10 years. The data, compiled by Policy Exchange think- tank, comes amid the biggest shake-up of police pay and conditions for more than 30 years with plans to cut pay and perks by nearly half a billion pounds.

Overall, the move would produce savings of £485m over three years, including up to £60m in the annual overtime budget. Blair Gibbs, of the Policy Exch-ange, is backing the move.

He said: “Overtime payments need to be reformed.

“Police officers should only be paid for overtime when it is absolutely necessary.”