WILTSHIRE bobbies are beating Gloucestershire when it comes to fitness according to the College of Policing.

The figures, released before the start of mandatory fitness testing this September, have revealed the difference in pass rates between the two counties.

Wiltshire achieved an overall pass rate of 99.3 per cent in its fitness tests, with all of the men passing and women achieving a pass rate of 97.7 per cent.

Gloucestershire police did not fare so well, recording an overall pass rate of 92.5 per cent - 91.8 per cent and 93.9 per cent for male and female officers respectively.

The percentage of male officers passing across the UK was 99 per cent while 94 per cent of female officers made the grade.

The statistics, published by the College of Policing, included the results of around 30,000 tests taken between May and March this year.

Rose Bartlett, from the College of Policing, said: “The results show that the vast majority of officers tested are fit.

“The new guidance issued to forces has been designed to provide supportive measures to help officers to pass and the College has now commissioned research in order to understand why women and older officers have a lower pass rate."

Only two forces, Humberside and Surrey, managed 100 per cent success in their tests and the worst force for fitness was North Yorkshire Police which saw 16.2 per cent of officers fail.