AN MP has condemned as "shameful'' a hard up police force's decision to buy luxury foreign cars for two senior officers.

Cleveland Police Authority has paid £60,000 for top-of-the-range 5 series BMWs for assistant chief constables Della Cannings and Bryan Bell.

Mrs Cannings is driving her car with the personalised number plate X999 DMC.

The revelation comes just days before a police authority delegation meets Home Office Minister Charles Clarke to plead for more money to run the service.

The police authority said the cars were "operational police vehicles and are equipped to perform that role".

But Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar said: "If they had bought these cars for bobbies on the frontline, I would have no trouble with that - because they need fast cars to move around. But senior officers sit in nice, comfortable offices. They are administrators.''

Cleveland Police said Mrs Cannings bought her own personalised number plate, which was her right.

Dr Kumar said: "I find it absolutely unbelievable that only two weeks ago I received a letter from Coun Walker to join him, to go with a begging bowl to the minister.

"If Cleveland Police are so short of money, why have they given these officers such posh cars? It's public money. Where is the accountability? I think Cleveland Police Authority has to justify this.''

A spokesperson for the police authority said: "The fact is that the provision of these vehicles is a more economic option that the alternative of paying the car allowances which the authority makes available for officers of this rank.

"It also makes available for the force vehicles which are equipped to perform a variety of operational roles when required."

Cleveland Police said the cars could be used for a range of operations, when they would be driven by other officers.

Last night, a spokesman said that Chief Constable Barry Shaw's Volvo staff car was at the disposal of the constabulary.

It is understood the cars were part of a relocation package, no different - said the police - to what the executives of multi million pound businesses should expect.