Sickness levels among North Yorkshire police officers have risen by 41 per cent - meaning 52 officers are off sick each day, the county's Police Federation meeting heard.

The "appallingly high" figures, compared to the same period last year, meant the force was paying about £1.5 million a year for officers who were not on duty.

Bob Humpleby, chairman of the North Yorkshire branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, painted a grim picture of life in the force at last night's meeting in Harrogate.

He said that morale continued to suffer, but when officers raised their concerns with their superiors they were "either ignored or dealt with in such a way that can only be construed as bullying".

Some officers were now reluctant to raise issues because of fear of reprisals, he added.

Mr Humpleby said it was a succession of unpopular decisions by the force executive which was driving up sickness levels.

He spoke of anger among officers over new pay patterns and the removal of social clubs from police stations. "You cannot keep treating people in this way and expect them to keep performing to the high levels that they have been," said Mr Humpleby. "They can only take so much before they finally give up and lose all confidence in leadership in the force, if we have not already arrived at that point."

The meeting heard that internal investigations, such as that into four suspended officers from Harrogate police station, were having a "devastating effect on morale".

Mr Humpleby said: "The monetary costs no doubt will never be made public, but I am of the opinion that the public have a right to know because the money that has been spent is money that is not available for policing."

The audience of officers up to the rank of chief inspector applauded when he said the way some officers and their families had been treated could not be condoned.

Mr Humpleby ended by saying that Chief Constable David Kenworthy and the members of the Police Federation must put aside mutual mistrust "before the force teeters over the edge".

Mr Kenworthy said he was concerned about low staff morale, but praised the force's officers for their professionalism and success in continuing to drive down crime across the county.

He said the force continued to be underfunded compared to other forces. "It's debilitating knowing you are four or five million pounds short each year," he said.