All North West police officers who are on leave have been ordered to return to work, the provincial Community Safety Department said yesterday.

All North West police officers who are on leave have been ordered to return to work, the provincial Community Safety Department said yesterday.

The department said that police officers were not supposed to take leave until the public service strike had ended.

Community safety MEC Phenye Vilakazi and provincial police Commissioner Lesetja Beetha visited several police stations in Rustenburg and Brits on Monday, where they inspected police efficiency in responding to crime calls.

The department said the two officials were concerned about officers taking leave this month.

"This is against a directive that no police officer should go on leave until the public servants' strike has ended.

"However, there were police officers who had gone on leave in some of the police stations visited," said Vilakazi, who urged all police officers who had taken leave to return to work immediately.

In one police station, only three officers out of eight were on duty on Monday. - Sapa