Police officers at this Yorkshire force are the happiest in the country

In the last four years, Humberside Police has seen a "complete turnaround" under the leadership of Chief Constable Lee Freeman.

It has gone from being the worst performing force in the country in 2015, to now being assessed by inspectors as "good" in every category.

On top of this, results from the Police Federation of England and Wales annual Pay and Morale Survey, have placed the Yorkshire force as the top in the country for police officer morale.

Of the survey respondents 35 per cent said they had low personal morale compared to 84.5 per cent in 2015 - the best result in England and Wales, indicating Humberside Police has the highest morale among police officers across the 40 forces surveyed.

Other results revealed 42 per cent would not recommend a career in policing to others, compared to 86.6 per cent in 2015, with 5 per cent saying they intended to leave the force within the next two years, compared to 22.5 per cent in 2015.

Chief Constable Lee Freeman said the results are "extraordinary" in terms of where the force was in 2015 and 2016 and "very encouraging".

He said the results of the survey, added to the feedback from staff, the general public and HMICFRS inspection results were "another positive sign" the force is on the right track, but stated he wouldn't get complacent.

He also thanked all his staff for their hard work and dedication since he took over as Chief Constable.

“Our officers and staff are our most valuable asset and I have always maintained that their commitment and professionalism has never been an inhibiting factor to the force improving," Mr Freeman said.

“Over the last two years, we’ve made changes to processes, systems and structures to enable our officers to do their job better and deliver a better service to the public, and given the results today there is a strong indication these changes have been of benefit and are making a positive impact.

“At a time where there are national challenges in policing, and significant issues, which include increased demand, more attacks and assaults on officers and years of pay freezes, to be able to deliver what we have locally and achieve such positive results, I feel is a credit to everyone who works for Humberside Police.

"However, I know we have much more to do and my job is to support our staff and officers every day. So I am not complacent and know that there are still officers and staff who are under immense pressure every day and who really care about the service they give to the public.”

"I am determined that we will continue to translate these results into improvements that the public will see and feel, and the best way to achieve that is to make sure everyone of our officers and staff feel they have leadership that supports them every day.”

Mr Freeman's comments were echoed by Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter, who said: "The annual police federation national survey of morale is the latest sign of the complete turnaround in the force over the past few years under new leadership and a changed direction and approach.

Mr Hunter also revealed how sickness rates for officers have dropped to just 3.8 per cent of hours lost, below the national average and in the top 10 best forces nationally.

Mr Hunter said: “When I wrote my Police and Crime Plan in 2016 I set some ambitious goals for Humberside Police and one of those was for the force to be seen as an employer of choice. Being so attracts and retains the best quality people and leads to better and more efficient service to the public. What better evidence could we have that that the force is well down that road.

"I would like to congratulate the Chief Constable and all the officers and staff, who together create the environment in which good morale breeds, for this landmark achievement that puts Humberside Police at the top nationally, where I want to see it regularly."