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Smoke in own time, police told 

POLICE officers have been told to go undercover when they nip out for a cigarette break.

Cambridgeshire police chiefs have told officers to "cover up their uniform" as well as deduct the time spent smoking from their timesheets.

The move is to keep the image of the force unclouded by officers hooked on nicotine.

Officers and staff have also been told to clear up any cigarette ends scattered outside police stations.

The move was criticised by Cambridge-based smokers' campaign Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco), which has its offices in Castle Park.

Spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "This just stigmatises officers and makes them out to be anti-social. Just because an officer smokes does not make him bad at his job.

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