Oggy - I am not suprised you are smiling. Retiring at 48 after 30 years of work. Receiving a large lump sum and a big inflation proofed pension for the rest of your days. Nice work if you can get it but no one else in society can. Why dont you tell us what you get? The country can no longer afford it however. Police oficers have not however paid themselves for these pensions - you are delusional if you think your contributions cover it.The cost of the average police constables pension on retirement would cost a million pounds to buy as an annuity in the private sector. These pensions cost tax payers billions and their costs are escalating each year. If you disbelieve GMPs sickness rates are not 10 per cent then look at their figures. There are vast numbers of jobs that officers in their fifties could do that would not require them to chase around physically after criminals on the beat. The fact that they are not deployed properly to take account of their age is not an argument for retirement at 50. Contracts of employment and conditions of service have inevitably to change in all walks of life. These have to be negotiated obviously, but there is no way the good old days, on the same conditions of service, are going to continue. The Country cannot afford it. The Police pension bill has to be reduced - it is totally unfair in relation to other workers and nationally unaffordable. You will not gain any public sympathy when people know the facts however - the amounts received are never stated , all you hear is officers complaining its a tough job,saying would you like to do it and arguing back that without the Police there would be chaos.Fair points to some extent maybe but it does not justify massive and unaffordable pension pay outs continuing.