A COUNTY councillor who believes some women police officers should not serve on the 'front line' has been invited out to patrol the town on a Friday night - with a woman officer.

North Worcestershire's Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Suzette Davenport has hit back at comments made by Councillor Tom Wareing in last week's Advertiser.

Chief Supt Davenport said she was very disappointed and angry to see Mr Wareing's views about needing more "strapping male officers" across Redditch.

She said: "I'm positive there will be many members of the community represented by Mr Wareing that will have been as disappointed as I was to see the comments and will not consider them to be reflective of theirs.

"I shall be inviting Mr Wareing to patrol with a female officer on a Friday night so he can experience first-hand the types of incidents and interactions my staff have and how they are managed.

"I will also be asking him to visit me so that we can talk through his issues in more depth."

She added: "Policing is not, and never has been, just about how physically strong an officer is.

"People skills and the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and calmly in stressful and difficult situations is the key to good policing - skills applicable to both men and women officers.

"To be a good communicator does not rely on gender, race or age and that is why anyone, regardless of race, gender and age can be a good officer."

Chief Supt Davenport said handling violent confrontations with violence did not work and body language, words and listening diffused situations quicker and more safely.

She added: "Obviously there are times when strength is necessary but this is the exception.

"Any officer dealing with a violent situation where strength is an issue will be supported by other officers.

"However I would like to stress that the vast majority of incidents an officer deals with does not need strength."

But Mr Wareing declined Chief Supt Davenport's invitation, saying an elderly man going out with police officers on patrol would be a very artificial situation and he could not see there being any benefits from doing it.

"If they were desperate for me to accompany them no doubt I would be delightful company but if they got into difficulty I think I would be an encumbrance rather than an asset," he said.

Mr Wareing reiterated his views and added: "A 5ft 2ins little girl quite frankly probably has a place but does not have a place in front-line policing, sorting out rough houses and drunken brawls.

"When you get blokes drunk, out of control and using lewd obscenities no-one is safe but I would suggest big burly police officers have got a better chance."