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The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is facing a bill of nearly £500m for officers hurt on duty.

The Audit Office has called the scheme for payments "not fit for purpose", and said substantial changes were needed to make things affordable.

Payments to police and prison officers have soared since 2015, a report by the public spending watchdog found.

Much of it is down to claims being made years after the injury occurred, and if successful, being backdated.

One recent award went back 25 years and cost £429,000 in arrears alone.

The scale of police claims is "significantly greater" than in England.

In Northern Ireland there are 12 claims a week on average, compared to 20 a year made to the Metropolitan Police Service in London, even though the Met has about 30,000 officers compared to the PSNI's 7,000.

Last year the scheme cost the PSNI £40m and the Northern Ireland Prison Service £2m.

The Audit Office calculates the PSNI's future payments, or liabilities, as being £488m - claims involve monthly amounts payable for life on top of one-off awards.

About 2,800 serving or retired officers receive payments.

Payments for life

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has recently emerged as one of the most common injuries.

The PSNI also has a considerable number of payments relating to hearing loss.

The report said current legislation, dating back almost 20 years, "did not anticipate the change in the type of injuries being claimed for".

The head of the Audit Office, Kieran Donnelly, said he was told the scheme was intended to provide against loss of earnings.

"That being the case, it is difficult to understand why an award is payable for life, when generally earnings capacity reduces in retirement," he said.

The Prison Service injury scheme operates separately - it makes payment to 181 people and its liabilities are calculated at £53m.

Mark Lindsay, the chairman of the NI Police Federation, which represents most officers, said: "This report fails to take into account Northern Ireland's unique environment over the past 30 or 40 years.

"Officers have been subjected to some of the worst incidents anywhere in the world and this compensation scheme reflects that."

'Public confidence'

DUP Policing Board representative Trevor Clarke said: "Those injured whilst serving the public must continue to have routes to exercise their genuine entitlement to fair and appropriate financial support."

However, he added: "There needs to be greater certainty for the public purse and a streamlined and simplified system for managing applications."

Sinn Féin assembly member Sean Lynch said the disparity in claims for injuries on duty between the PSNI and other police services was concerning. 

"Ensuring the system is accountable and transparent will contribute to to public confidence in policing," he said.