AT least ten members of Avon and Somerset Police – nine officers and one PCSO – have criminal convictions, it was revealed this week.

A Freedom of Information request showed they were convicted of the historic offences before they were recruited by the force.

But the figure does not include driving offences, cautions, when a suspect admits an offence but escapes going to court, or penalty notices for disorder.

The names of the officers were not made public for data protection reasons.

Avon and Somerset also revealed that none of its officers was convicted of criminal offences in the three years to June 8 this year.

Nationally, 309 police officers and PCSOs have been convicted of criminal offences in the past three years, according to the 25 forces who responded to the FOI request.

The other 20 forces either said they could not reveal the figures because of the cost involved in calculating them or did not respond to the request.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The vast majority of police officers in this country do their job honestly and with integrity. They put themselves in harm's way to protect the public.

"But the good work of the majority threatens to be damaged by a continuing series of events and revelations relating to police conduct.

"Over the last two years the Home Office has introduced a programme of measures to improve standards of behaviour in the police, including making the disciplinary system more independent and transparent through introducing hearings in public, preventing officers resigning or retiring to avoid dismissal, and - from next year - introducing legally qualified, independent chairs on misconduct hearing panels."