Striking police picket Dutch PM's office, ministries over pay

Striking police officers blocked off entrances at the prime minster's office and three ministries in The Hague on Wednesday, as unions stepped up a high-profile campaign for better pay and conditions for officers.

Packed crowds of mostly good-humoured police turned civil servants away as they arrived for work at the ministries of finance, interior and justice, video footage showed.

Saying that officers had been "loyal for long enough," the ACP Police Union urged the government to improve its offer of a 5 percent pay hike and a one-off bonus of 500 euros ($560).

The action, timed to coincide with a debate on the annual budget in the nearby parliament, would end at 1500 GMT, the union said.

Protesting officers have disrupted a series of sporting events over recent months, refusing to police some Dutch premier league soccer matches, forcing their postponement, and threatening to block the route of the Tour de France through the Netherlands.

Officers only responded to top priority calls during a four-hour strike on Tuesday.