Police are putting themselves above the law says one force insider after the failure to arrest a traffic officer suspected of smoking pot while on duty.

The motorcycle patrol officer was picked up by officers as he watched a football match at White Hill Field on Sunday -- but four days later had still not been arrested. The officer went to Somerset Police station and has since been suspended with pay. It later emerged the same officer had also been suspended in November after failing a Bermuda Football Association drug test and had been shunted into the motorbike section. One insider blasted the kid-gloves approach after this latest incident and said treatment would have been different for ordinary members of the public. He said: "If someone was walking down Court Street and they were suspected of having drugs they would be arrested. I don't know why they are going out of their way for this guy. I find that to be above the law.'' He added the public will lose confidence if the Police did not deal with offenders in its own ranks. He said: "It's a mockery. Why wasn't he arrested?. You've got to ask. Anyone else with even a small amount of drugs would be punished. It tarnishes the force.'' "The guy is dopey -- he's had to be sidelined by the force several times before.'' Yesterday a Police spokeswoman confirmed that the officer in question had not been arrested or charged. But she refused to say why Police had failed to decide whether to proceed with the case or drop it four days after the allegations. She said: "No charges have been laid. I understand the investigation is still underway. "The allegations were made by a member of the public -- because of the serious nature of the allegations it was decided to relieve the officer of his duties. "Police don't arrest somebody on allegations -- that's what it's been. We are also keen to see it continue as quickly as possible -- I am not saying anything else.'' She denied Police were dragging their feet on the matter: "We are just as keen to get the matter investigated as the rest of the public. Tell people to allow the due process of the law to continue. However the insider said the case was typical of slipping discipline in the force. He said: "People aren't being punished if they're out of line. There is a severe lack of any discipline. Constables are running the force but it's not supposed to be that way. If they don't want to do a job they go running to the Commissioner and complain.'' He also said the motorbike police were losing public support by racing around for no purpose.

"I hear the public say how bikes have sped past them but when they see them further up the road they are parked up chatting some woman up. They get away with it.'' DRUGS DGS