Women police still fail to reach top

The Home Office found six per cent of chief superintendents and five per cent of superintendents were female.

The force did not have a single female officer of Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) rank, police minister Hazel Blears said.

Ethnic minorities were not represented in any of the three most senior ranks in March last year, the date used for the survey.

The force had a better record in recruiting women to its lower ranks.

Thirteen per cent of chief inspectors, inspectors and sergeants and 23 per cent of constables were women.

The population of Sussex is 51 per cent female.

The Home Office said two per cent of chief inspectors were from ethnic minorities and one per cent of inspectors, sergeants and constables.

The details were revealed after pressure groups raised concerns about the level of women and people from ethnic minorities in key positions.

The recruitment problems in Sussex were mirrored across England and Wales. Only one per cent of officers at ACPO and chief superintendent level and two per cent of superintendents were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Two per cent of chief inspectors, inspectors and sergeants and three per cent of constables were non-white.

Eight per cent of ACPO-level officers, six per cent of chief superintendents and nine per cent of superintendents were women.

Women made up nine per cent of chief inspectors and inspectors, 11 per cent of sergeants and 21 per cent of constables.

Jenny Poore, head of human resources for Sussex Police, said: "The police service has always been perceived as attracting people from white-male backgrounds but figures show we are making inroads into tackling this in a very positive way."

She said the number of female police officers in Sussex had risen by 20 per cent during the past two years, from 588 to 707.

The number of ethnic minority officers had gone up from 31 to 36 in the past year, a rise putting the force on course to reach Home Office targets.