The gender pay gap at Wiltshire Police still hovers at just under ten per cent - despite an increase in the number of women employed by the force.

A 23 per cent increase was recorded in the number of female police officers in the last three years, according to its latest Gender Pay Gap Report 2022, released this week.

For the third year running, the force employed more female police officers and police staff combined than their male counterparts, with 1,213 women and 1,156 men.

Yet a clear wage divide remains between the two genders, as the median gender pay gap was 9.09 per cent on March 31, 2022.

This is a small decrease from 9.56 per cent in 2021, but is a substantial decrease since 2017 when the figure was 17 per cent.

The report shows the percentage difference between the mean (average) and median (mid-point) hourly earnings of men and woman in the workplace.

Wiltshire Police says that men and women are paid equally at every grade, but a pay gap is created if one gender dominates higher pay-graded roles.

With more women in the force and pay rates being equal at each level, the divide demonstrates that women are not occupying as many high-ranking roles in the force as men are.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said: “Gender balance continues to be a key priority as we work hard to become a more diverse workforce, reflecting the communities we are here to serve.

“Catherine Roper’s recent appointment as the second female Chief Constable in Wiltshire Police’s history, sends a very positive message to women about joining the police and succeeding to the highest levels.”

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) directly employs 26 members of staff and 66 employees in total.

It employs more females than males, 50 females and 16 males, but women dominate the lowest two pay banding quartiles.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Encouraging female representation at all levels within policing, especially within senior roles, is vital to ensuring that, as an employer, we are meeting our obligations and that we retain a committed workforce representative of the community it serves.  

“The decrease in pay gap and more female officers in senior positions in Wiltshire Police are great steps in the right direction. Within the OPCC, we have more females in senior positions than before, but we must never become complacent and think we cannot do better – because we always can.”