A POLICE chief has clashed with the courts by ordering her officers to avoid jury service by turning up in uniform.

Following rule changes, police officers are no longer exempt from serving as jurors.

But North Yorkshire's Chief Constable Della Cannings says their time is better spent on the beat.

To get round the problem, she has issued a directive to officers that if they are called up, they should arrive in court in their uniform.

She believes that would leave the courts with no choice but to discharge them from their duties for fear of prejudicing cases.

She has infuriated the justice system, which branded the move clearly provocative.

Court Service chiefs said that all police staff members had a legal obligation to serve on a jury, if called.

Police Federation representatives said they supported Ms Cannings in broad terms.

North Yorkshire Police officers and civilian staff have been told to ask to be excused from duty on the grounds that they may have a conflict of interest and could compromise undercover work.

Ms Cannings said the new law would have a detrimental effect on the force because more officers would be taken away from their duties.

She also fears most legal teams would deselect jurors who work in law enforcement, resulting in a wasted trip to court for police staff.

"It is not possible to require individual North Yorkshire Police members to attempt to be excused, or appeal a denial of an attempt to be excused," she said in a report to North Yorkshire Police Authority.

"However, North Yorkshire Police can and will encourage officers and staff to do so."

A Court Service spokeswoman said: "Whether individual officers like the policy or not, they are required by law to serve on the jury."

Mark Botham, North Yorkshire Police Federation chairman, said: "Our view is that it may be force policy, but it is the individual officer who gets it in the neck when they arrive at court. That cannot be fair."

Since the law came into effect on April 1, three constables and one member of police staff have been summoned for jury service, each for a planned period of two weeks.

The courts require jurors to wear smart, casual dress and police officers have been told to carry a change of clothes.

Government bosses made the change because, of an estimated 480,000 people called up to do jury service each year, only 200,000 were eligible. It was also felt certain sections of the public were able to withdraw too easily.

Police officers, doctors, clergymen, solicitors and members of the Armed Forces are no longer exempt from jury duty after a change in the law.