HOME Secretary Jack Straw comes under fire today from rank-and-file police officers over his plans to make it easier to sack corrupt members of the force.

But he should not flinch, for this is clearly a case of the complainers protesting too much.

For, though it is only a small minority of police officers who are accused of corruption, the current disciplinary system is open to the kind of abuse that makes getting rid of the bad apples a slow and difficult task.

There are those who deliberately slow down investigations into charges against them, so that officers may be suspended on full pay for years and others who retire "sick" to avoid disciplinary procedures and escape punishment.

That is not justice. And complain as they may, the Police Federation cannot dispute this.

That said, they have a case for demanding that officers deserve protection from malicious accusations of corruption by vengeful criminals.

Mr Straw must bear that in mind as he draws up plans to speed up and clean up the police discipline system, but he must not be deflected from the main task.

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