BLACK and ethnic minority police officers in Lancashire say the are opposed to any plans to introduce positive discrimination policies on recruitment.

Chief constables across England and Wales are set to discuss whether existing employment legislation should be scrapped to allow forces to fast-track people on the basis of their race.

The move is being discussed by the Association of Chief Police Officers to help forces meet Whitehall targets on the recruitment of black and ethnic minority officers.

Lancashire should currently have more than 100 out of its 3,500-plus officers from black and ethnic communities. But that figure currently stands at around 90.

The idea of giving favour to would-be black and Asian officers has not found favour with the county's Black and Ethnic Minority Police Association in Lancashire.

Police Constable Mebs Ahmed, the Lancashire chairman, said: "Currently the LBPA does not support positive discrimination."

PC Ahmed said that he welcomed a debate on affirmative action' which is the prioritising of people from ethnic minorities after they have pased initial selection procedures.

But he said: "That decison can only be taken after a full debate, with various points of view put forward, and the merits of it debated."

PC Ahmed said the association would then review its own stance in the light of any ACPO guidance.

He said that the association was supportive of positive action' work carried out by Lancashire police, which provides support and mentoring opportunities for potential recruits.

He insisted that his association was in favour of any work which created a level playing field' for would-be black and Asian recruits - but not giving them unfair advantages over other candidates.

Officials from ACPO say the Government's wish for seven per cent of the police force to be from black and ethnic minority neighbourhoods by 2009 cannot be achieved without a change in the law.