ONE in three police officers has been threatened with Covid as a weapon, a new survey reveals. The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) 2020 Demand, Capacity and Welfare survey also starkly revealed how officers are risking their own wellbeing in the line of duty by working longer hours under constant pressure and with limited access to rest and recuperation. Paul Williams, Cumbria Police Federation chairman, said: “The rise in assaults on police officers is completely unacceptable. “My hard working colleagues have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, and unfortunately to hear that one in three officers have had the virus used against them as a weapon is a sick reflection on what officers have to face at work on a daily basis.