THE number of complaints about Durham police officers being dealt with by an official body has fallen by more than the national average, it has been revealed.

Durham's outgoing Chief Constable, George Hedges, gave the news in the wake of the publication of the Police Complaints Authority's (PCA) annual report.

It revealed that nationally, complaint cases against police officers which were reported to it fell by 14.9 per cent during 2001-02 compared with the previous 12 months.

Mr Hedges, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead spokesman on complaints and discipline issues, said the drop in Durham was even more pronounced, with only 40 cases being recorded compared with 59 the previous year.

He said: "The fall in cases handled by the PCA, both nationally and locally, continues the trend of previous years, and is very much to be welcomed.

"It should also be seen in the light of the fact that in Durham, we have more officers on the beat than ever before, which I think makes the figures even more remarkable.

"We must not be complacent, but we should acknowledge the work being done across the service to reduce avoidable complaints.

"A police officer patrolling the streets can expect to be complained about on average once every ten years.

"Bearing in mind the complexity of the job and the demands made on officers today, that is a remarkable achievement."

At the PCA report's launch, the organisation's chairman, Sir Alistair Graham, called for baton guns, firing plastic bullets, to be introduced in forces nationwide.