POLICE staff across the region will man the picket lines in strike action on Monday, December 22.

Members of public sector union Unison overwhelmingly rejected a one per cent pay rise offer, with almost 80 per cent of respondents prepared to take some form of strike action. The strike will last 24 hours from midnight.

Police officers are not able to join unions but are instead members of the Police Federation. Unison members include 999 call takers, PCSOs, scene of crime officers, fingerprint experts, financial investigators and detention officers.

Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary, said: “Police staff have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis. Since 2010, two years of pay freeze and a below inflation pay deal last year has seen the value of their pay decline by 13 per cent.

“It is rare for police staff to take industrial action and the strike is a clear sign that they’ve had enough. For many of our members it will be the first time they have ever taken industrial action over pay. The last time police members struck in relation to pay was 25 years ago.

“Police staff have had a raw deal. All we’re asking for is fair pay. Our members’ contribution to community safety is immense and it needs to be reflected in their pay.

"Earlier this year we asked for a three per cent, or £500, increase, whichever is the greater, on police staff pay points. The police employers responded with another one per cent offer, which is just not acceptable.”

Unison represents 30,000 police staff in England and Wales.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “We have started contingency planning to ensure that we can continue to provide a good service to the public during any action in Wiltshire.”

The strikes will be followed by four weeks of action starting on Monday, January 5.