Police officers find it “galling” to help fill the gaps during public sector strikes while they are unable to take such action themselves, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said.

Sir Mark Rowley said industrial action could lead to a greater workload for his officers, who are not legally allowed to strike, leaving them unable to do “critical police work”.

In an interview to mark his first 100 days as commissioner, he told the PA news agency: “In terms of our policing of London, I worry that the strikes will lead to more work from other agencies, particularly the health service, falling into the laps of police officers, and that will stop us doing the critical police work we need to do to protect London.

“Secondly, I know my officers will find it galling and frustrating that they’re not allowed to strike and they’re backfilling for people who are striking.

“They have no desire to strike but it will seem unfair to them – they have to accept the pay deal they’re given – to be filling in for others.”

Earlier this month, Steve Hartshorn, chairman of the Police Federation that represents officers from the rank of constable to chief inspector, said requests for police to fill in driving ambulances during strikes gave him “grave concerns” for their welfare.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council also stressed that the service needs to make sure it can deliver its own “core business” before filling in for striking workers.

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham (centre), joins ambulance workers on the picket line outside ambulance headquarters in Coventry.
Ambulance workers walked out on Wednesday (Jacob King/PA)

Sir Mark has already expressed concern about the number of non-crime matters such as mental health crises that his officers are called out to deal with.

Currently only 22% of calls to the Met are about crime, and Sir Mark is looking at ways the force can stop sending officers to jobs such as sitting with patients in mental health crisis as they wait in accident and emergency, and to certain welfare checks.

In a series of interviews, Sir Mark also said he is concerned about what it is like for officers living and working in such an expensive city.

Asked about the financial pressures faced by his police officers, he told LBC: “I am concerned about what life is like for a police officer particularly in such an expensive part of the world to live in such as London.”