Brit Police officers caught watching porn, playing games on department computers

London, Dec. 29 (ANI): Thousands of UK Police officers have been caught watching pornography, playing games and snooping on their neighbours, ex-partners and friends using departmental computers, according to official figures.

It has emerged that dozens of British police officers have been disciplined for looking at the X-rated images, while others for playing games or using the Police National Computer system to snoop on people, The Daily Star reports.

According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, almost 150 police workers have been forced to resign in the past five years and 46 have been sacked.

Cases include 100 Hertfordshire Police workers disciplined for sending pictures of a man being decapitated in a police chase.

Ten constables and two sergeants in Staffordshire were disciplined in 2008-09 for playing Pacman, Tetris, Golf and Sonic games on force computers.

The data reveals that 2,383 police employees have been investigated for computer misuse since 2005 and the number of people caught breaking the rules is increasing annually.

Investigations have rocketed by more than 50 percent in three years from 398 in 2005 to 600 in 2008.

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers want their policemen out on the streets fighting crime, not engaging in seedy and unbecoming behaviour in the office.

"This is a shameful waste of precious police resources and time and will damage taxpayers' confidence in the integrity of those that are supposed to be protecting their safety."