ALMOST 250 council employees took sick leave due to stress last year, a Freedom of Information request has found.

In 2017, 242 Pembrokeshire County Council staff members went on 'stress leave'.

This was a 23 per cent increase on 2016, with 196 people on leave.

Over the last five years, levels have increased by 44 per cent.

The only drop in that time was in 2015, when 180 employees reported stress-related absence, compared to 191 in 2014.

Across Wales, councils have reported a 20 per cent increase in the number of employees taking stress-related leave.

A freedom of information (FOI) request submitted by Welsh Conservatives shows that in 2016/17, a combined 6,836 local authority staff members took sick leave because of stress, compared to 5,706 in 2014/15.

Only Powys and Vale of Glamorgan councils saw a decline in the number of staff absences over the two-year period.

Of Wales’ 22 local authorities, only Newport Council failed to respond to Welsh Conservatives’ FOI request.

Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Secretary, said: “Welsh councils are facing huge financial pressures, which is evidently having a knock-on effect on the wellbeing of staff members who are increasingly expected to do more with fewer resources.

“Welsh Government must in urgency review its local government funding formula to ensure that councils are afforded the resources needed to deliver good public services and happier work environments.”