More than a dozen police officers have been dismissed from West Mercia Police over the past five years, new figures show.

Data from the Home Office shows 13 officers have been dismissed from the force since April 2017 – including six in the year to March.

The figures refer to officers who were made redundant, have been made to resign, or have had their contracts terminated – including any asked to leave the force due to misconduct.

Across England and Wales 192 officers were sacked in 2021-22, up from 179 the year before.

READ MORE: West Mercia police officer dismissed for gross misconduct

Though dismissals are not always due to misconduct, the conduct of police officers has come under greater scrutiny in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, who will never be freed from prison after losing an appeal against his whole life sentence last week.

Data from the College of Policing shows nationally 257 officers were placed on the 'barred list' in the year to March 2021 – the latest figures – including two in West Mercia.

This means they can no longer serve in the police, having been found to have committed gross misconduct while in the force. 

Number of police officers resigning is on the rise

The number of officers added to the list is higher than the number of dismissals, as many instead choose to resign or retire – 118 did so nationally in 2021.

The National Police Chiefs Council said a "tiny minority" of police officers undermine public trust and confidence in policing.

A spokesperson said: “Where officers don’t meet the expected standards of behaviour they will be dealt with directly, and this could result in them losing their jobs or in the most serious cases, a criminal conviction.

READ MORE: Police officer dismissed for spending hundreds of taxpayer's money on radio competitions

"Everyone in policing needs to contribute to an inclusive, professional, and ethical culture.” Police forces are also grappling with increased resignations, the Home Office figures show.

The number of officers leaving the force has reached an all-time high across England and Wales, fuelled in part by a surge in voluntary resignations.

In the year to March 3,653 officers resigned, a significant increase on the 2,154 the year before, and including 58 in West Mercia.