More than 6,000 police officers have resigned in the last three years, it has been reported.

A survey of all British forces, including transport police and those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, was carried out by a police journal according to the Daily Express.

In figures requested under the Freedom of Information Act, it was discovered that more than 2,700 officers had left in the calendar year 2006 alone.

The figure went above 6,000 when statistics for the previous two years were taken into account.

Last year, the force which saw most departures was Scotland Yard, which lost 363 officers, while the Police Service of Northern Ireland saw 330 resign, Greater Manchester lost 209 and West Midlands 130, it was reported.