Police forces are spending an estimated £5 million a year on suspended officers, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal, amid concern that disciplinary investigations are taking too long to complete.

Figures obtained under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request found that almost £12 million was paid out in wages to officers who had been suspended from duty between 2014 and 2018.

But only 26 of the 43 forces in England and Wales responded, with the Metropolitan Police among those that failed to provide information.

Across the country it is thought the overall figure for the past four years will be in excess of £20 million, equating to at least £5 million a year.

An officer can be suspended for a variety of reasons, ranging from professional misconduct to allegations of criminal behaviour.