PREMIERSHIP chiefs have stepped in to stop a police sergeant officiating at the Tyne-Wear derby on Saturday following a national furore over his football role while off work with stress.

They say they do not want media attention surrounding the part-time linesman putting pressure on his pitch-side colleagues.

Sergeant Nigel Miller - who is due to return to his job at Bishop Auckland police station, County Durham, this morning - is so highly regarded as a linesman that he was considered a perfect choice to cope with the huge pressure surrounding the match at St James' Park.

But instead of taking part in the Newcastle-Sunderland fixture in front of 52,000 passionate fans, the 42-year-old has been relegated to another local clash - between Bradford and Burnley in Division One.

Premiership spokesman Dan Johnson said: "Nigel Miller is a very well thought-of official, which is why he is used in these high-pressure games such as Leeds against Manchester United and Sunderland and Newcastle.

"But given the media furore surrounding him and his position, we felt it was best for him to switch matches.

"It is a highly-charged fixture and we did not want to put pressure on the other officials.

"You have to be completely focused on the job and having outside influences, especially in you own region, can be distracting."

Sgt Miller is said to have ambitions to be a Premiership referee and police colleagues said he will be upset to lose a chance to officiate at the North-East derby.

One said: "He would have been bound to have got a lot of stick from the crowd. They will be fired up for the game anyway and this would have made it worse."

Sgt Miller, who lives near Durham, attracted national headlines this week after The Northern Echo revealed exclusively that he had turned out last Saturday for Leeds United's match with Manchester United during a spell on sick leave.

He had not been to work since last month, when his GP signed him off with stress soon after he transferred to Bishop Auckland from Durham Police's firearms squad.

Regarded as one of the fittest officials in football, he had been advised by doctors that exercise was therapeutic and would help him recover.

Even so, the sight of him at Saturday's televised game surprised some colleagues in the force.

As he left his home yesterday, he told waiting reporters: "I don't feel stressed at all. I feel perfectly fit and healthy."

But Bradford fans say he cannot be sure of an easy time at 25,000-seater Valley Parade, even though the famous Yorkshire ground will probably only be half full.

Andrew Hebden, from Bradford, said: "It is our biggest local derby of the season and there can be a lot of bad feeling.

"Last year we lost 3-2 at home and there were quite a lot of incidents and controversy.

"It maybe won't be as high profile as Manchester United, but it will still be a bit of a tester."

A spokesman for Durham Police said yesterday: "Sgt Miller will be returning to work tomorrow.

"He has informed us he is ready to come back to work as a custody sergeant at Bishop Auckland police station.

"We knew he was due to come back to work shortly and he is doing so.

"He has kept us informed throughout and had a certificate from his GP giving details as to why he was off work."