Police officers fall foul of shuttle run test in new fitness scheme

Some 352 officers fell short over a two month period, with two per cent failing overall in more than 13,000 tests across 32 forces, latest results from the professional standards body the College of Policing said.

The worst failure rates during this period were seen in North Yorkshire with 16.2 per cent, Lancashire with 6.4 per cent and South Yorkshire with 5.4 per cent.

In the latest results, Humberside and Surrey were the only two forces who boasted a 100 per cent pass rates for across all officers.

North Yorkshire Police say their high rate was only for a “small snapshot in time” and that the actual pass rate is 94.6 per cent out of the 1,219 tests taken since the scheme began.

After taking part in the 15-metre ‘bleep’ shuttle run test, some 138 of the 10,265 male officers who took part, an average of one per cent, and 214 of 3,693 female officers, an average of six per cent, were unsuccessful.

The new fitness testing, which will become compulsory on September 1, was brought in after recommendations made by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor.

If an officer fails the fitness test at the first attempt, it is advised that at least two retakes are permitted before forces use “unsatisfactory performance” against the participating officer.

Rose Bartlett, recruitment standards policy manager at the College of Policing, which has released fitness test guidance for forces, said: “The results show that the vast majority of officers tested are fit.”