The number of people waiting for DBS checks to be processed by Sussex Police has risen in the past month.

Figures obtained by the BBC show that 12,072 people were waiting for enhanced DBS checks to be processed by the force in October.

That’s more than the waiting list 10,633 improved apps which the BBC reported were outstanding in September.

Sussex Police said the delays were due to increased demand and high staff turnover, but new caseworkers were being recruited and trained.

Dan King, a maintenance worker from Bognor Regis, says that when he got a new job at a care home in Littlehampton, he handed in his notice and in August applied for the DBS check.

He was due to start work in October but says he is still waiting for his DBS certificate to arrive.

He said: “I’m quite annoyed to be honest. I should have started my new job and settled before Christmas.

“I would have been fine financially.”

To make ends meet while he waits, he took a temporary job 70 miles from home in Bournemouth.

He said: “It’s really stressful not knowing at the end of the month if I’ll have enough money to pay my bills.”

Dani Maynard, from Jevington, already has a DBS check to work as a swimming teacher at St Bede’s School in Hailsham, but says she needs an extra one to teach at the local children’s club at the school pool.

She waited for her DBS check for four months, which affected the club and put pressure on other coaches and her family’s finances.

She said: “We had to cancel and postpone a lot of lessons. We have already had a huge delay due to Covid. The kids are going back in the water, but we can’t get the staff in.”

She added: “It affected me financially. It’s the supplement that I think many single-income families rely on these days.

“Half-term could have been a bit more fun, but that extra income wasn’t there.”

Sussex Police say they have recruited more caseworkers, which they expect will increase responses to applications when they are fully trained.

A force spokesman said: “Sussex Police has experienced delays in responding to DBS requests due to increasing demand and a period of high staff turnover. We recognize the impact these delays are having.”

The government’s Disclosure and Barring Service said the average time to process enhanced claims nationally in October was 11.4 days.

A spokesman said it was supporting Sussex Police with funding for extra staff, funding overtime while new staff are trained and managing workload sharing with other forces.

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