Police consider hiring 'zero-hours' detectives to cope with 'unprecedented' murder caseload

A British police force is weighing plans to bring in detectives on zero-hours contracts after an "unprecedented" surge in murder cases stretched its investigative capacity to the limit. The chief constable said demand over the past year had reached levels the force had never previously encountered. The proposal would see experienced detectives called in on a flexible basis to handle complex homicide investigations.

The force's capacity crisis comes as British Transport Police separately investigates corrupt detective Derek Ridgewell, who helped frame at least 15 innocent men for crimes they did not commit.

Last week Christopher Poulter and Kevin Biggs became the 14th and 15th people to have convictions linked to Ridgewell overturned — 50 years after they were first convicted.

Kevin Biggs died in 2004 without ever seeing his name cleared, and further potential victims are now being identified as a criminal case is prepared for prosecutors.