Humberside Police chief defends officers enjoying Hull Fair dodgems

A police chief has defended his officers after they were photographed riding the dodgems at Hull Fair after working "long, hard hours".

Pictures of Humberside Police officers on the ride at fair have been published in The Sun newspaper and received criticism from some members of the public on social media.

But Deputy Chief Constable Andy McDyer said the officers were taking a break on the last day of the annual fair, which saw just four arrests during the eight-day event.

He said it was "very sad" to see the angle the newspaper had taken on the story, adding some officers had worked "nine consecutive 100-hour shifts".

• Video: Eyeweb

The Sun quoted a Twitter user named Thunder Road who wrote: "Please don't ever complain again of shortage of police."

However other social media users were supportive of the officers taking a few minutes to enjoy the ride.

Matt tweeted: "You all do an amazing job under great pressure and need some stress relief."

And Debbie wrote: "You guys deserve two minutes of fun at a quiet time like anyone else. Why not? Keep up the good work."

The Sun told ITV News: "We stand by the story as published and don't have any further comment today."