³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Thousands of police officers in Northern Ireland are to get a 2.5% pay rise.

The uplift, which had been anticipated, was agreed following discussions between the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance.

The rise will be backdated to September 2019, when a similar award was made to officers in England and Wales.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said it "recognises the work of police officers in Northern Ireland."

The increase will apply to all but the very top positions in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which currently has 6,900 officers.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland represents the vast majority of officers.

A spokesperson said: "This pay increase should have come into force from 1 September last year and it will come as some relief that it will finally appear in payslips at the end of the month.

"This is the third year in a row that agreed and approved pay increases have been delayed because of the absence of a minister."

The Federation added that an extra 2.5% for those at the rank of constable translates to about £70 a month.

A new round of pay talks covering the 2020/21 financial year are to begin shortly.

Separately, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne has asked Stormont to finance an additional 600 officers at a cost of £40m a year.

A decision will come in the next budget, due soon.