alleging that officers are "given breaks'' in driving offences.

But Opposition spokesman on Police affairs Mr. Stanley Morton said it was a commonly-held belief that Policemen treated colleagues favourably, and that had now been confirmed.

Former Police constable Steve Donnelly made the remark in a court case which ended yesterday.

Donnelly was charged with depriving a colleague, Det. Con. David Small, of his liberty. Much of the case rested on the fact that Small did not mention that he was a Police officer to Donnelly when he was arresting him.

Small was about to be released without being breathalysed but insisted on proving he was a teetotaller.

Donnelly told the court he would not have arrested Small if he had revealed he was a Police officer.

"Rightly or wrongly, when it comes to traffic matters Policemen give other Policemen breaks,'' he said.

Mr. Edwards said yesterday: "The statement made by Steven Donnelly is his personal comment and not the official policy of the Commissioner.

"Police officers are not above the law. Many matters involving Police officers are dealt with internally rather than in the courts.'' But Mr. Morton, Shadow Minister of Delegated Affairs, said he found it revealing that Donnelly had made the statement in open court.

"If it does happen it does not shed a very good light on the Police Force,'' he said.

"It just confirms what a lot of ordinary people have been asking for some time. It confirms what a lot of young people in this country think.

"It confirms that whether or not you are arrested for certain matters depends on who you are.'' Mr. Morton said that Police officers should show some latitude to people accused of minor offences but not simply to their fellow officers. Latitude should be exercised across the board, he said.

"But in a case where someone is suspected of impaired driving, which is a very serious matter, there should be no latitude shown at all.''