Met chief: My job should not pay a bonus

Sir Paul Stephenson today hit out at the practice of police chiefs receiving bonuses and vowed never to take one himself.

The Met commissioner said neither himself nor his deputy would receive one this year even though they were entitled to do so.

Instead he called for a review into how police were paid so that bonuses were not seen as an incentive.

Speaking on LBC radio, Sir Paul, who earns £250,000, said: "It's not for me to comment on other police chiefs, and actually if there is a remuneration system brought in by government it's perfectly legitimate for people to use that, but I've been opposed to performance-related pay or bonus systems right from the point they were brought in.

"I don't think they have any part in policing, I don't think they motivate police officers, and certainly senior police officers, to work any harder. I've never taken a bonus.

"I do think there needs to be a fundamental review of bonus systems in policing. I'm sure I'll be joined by many across the country in saying let's call for this to say that bonuses have no place and let's make sure we have a proper remuneration system."

His comments come despite an admission that the Metropolitan Police Authority paid bonuses totalling £190,935 to 35 senior staff in 2006/2007.

Chief constables can receive bonuses worth up to 15 per cent of their salary, deputy chiefs up to 12.5 per cent and assistant chiefs 10 per cent.

These bonuses are dependent on the individual performance of the chief officers and how they lead their force towards achieving national and local objectives.

A recent investigation found that bosses at Greater Manchester Police received total bonuses of more than £53,000 in a year.

It also reported, following a Freedom of Information request, that bonuses under the scheme were £25,600 for Norfolk Constabulary, £20,000 for Devon and Cornwall and £13,300 for Hertfordshire.