Cops Minds is urgently fundraising to support the mental health of traumatised police officers, police staff & retired officers.

We aim to help thousands of workers with private counselling and health support by launching a fast-track access to urgent psychological support for those who have suffered keeping the nation safe.

One of the trustees for the charity Trevor Sherwood said "The last 12 months have brought into sharp focus the work of tens of thousands of brave men and women of our police.

"But they are not immune to suffering. Many have been left shattered and exhausted by the job and the Covid crisis has exacerbated that. "The incredible job they do is taken for granted but they keep us all safe.

"It's now our job to get them fit and back to work."

Cops Minds was set up after a friend told Trevor that he had suffered a breakdown which was related to the job.

The 46-year-old detective constable, a married father of two, was left contemplating suicide because of the mental toll of dealing with murder, rape, child abuse and fraud on a daily basis.

"I feel like a shadow of myself. I struggle even though I was previously a top performer.

"I am still living within the eye of the storm and every day is a struggle. I felt physically unable to talk to anyone and did not know who to contact for help."

Great levels of support already exists but many say accessing it is difficult because of lengthy waiting lists.

Cops Minds aims to bridge that gap by providing urgent funding to get officers booked into a local private psychologist.

The group claims most are only offered an average of six counselling sessions through their forces.

After six months off, some officers have received letters telling them they will be dropped to half pay and, after 12 months, to zero.

Cops Minds will distribute urgent support grants to cover bills if wages drop. One in five officers suffers from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, it was said.

It is estimated mental health is costing the police up to £229million annually.

Between 2011 and 2019, 138 police officers committed suicide.

The recent Kill The Bill protests and rioting in Bristol once again showed the disorder and violence forces have to deal with.

John Apter, chair of the Police Federation, said: "Our survey revealed almost 80 per cent of officers struggled with mental health over the past 12 months."

Hartlepool-based Cops Minds is run entirely by volunteers, who can arrange funding directly to psychologists or counsellors police officers are already using.

It has a £10,000 fighting fund but it needs £150,000 a year as the true scale of the mental health crisis may not become clear until after the pandemic.

Cops Minds is a nationwide charity and any officer is allowed to apply for support