THE role of a police officer is one which relies heavily on sound judgement. When you happen to be the highest ranked officer in the force, there is a reasonable expectation that particularly sound judgement will be displayed.

The Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, Grahame Maxwell, showed lamentable judgement when he helped a relative gain an unfair advantage in a drive to recruit police officers.

With more than 200,000 people striving to apply for 60 jobs, Mr Maxwell advised the relative on how to avoid the log jam.

It should have been clear to him that there was a conflict of interest and that what he was doing was wrong.

But that was not the end of Mr Maxwell's poor judgement. He failed to admit his guilt and cost taxpayers money by trying to dodge responsibility.

It is reassuring to the public that there is a robust system in place to ensure that police officers can be called to account - no matter how high their rank.

But the fight against crime is dependent on a strong relationship between the police and the people they serve.

Trust in Mr Maxwell has been so seriously undermined that many will question whether a final written warning is suffice.