DUTCH POLICE COMPLAIN IT IS THEIR RIGHT TO SMOKE CANNABIS WHILE
OFF-DUTY

Police in Amsterdam are complaining at new rules that ban them for
smoking cannabis while off-duty.

Officers have been told they need to set a good example to the public
in the Dutch capital famous for its liberal drugs laws and red light
district.

Amsterdam's police council chairman Frank Gittay said: "Until now
police were only banned from showing up for work stoned or drunk.

"But now we are telling officers they should also behave like the
police at all times, and that means not taking drugs and not getting
excessively drunk whether on of off duty."

But Dutch Police Union chairman Hans van Duijn said the new rules
were an infringement of personal liberty.

He said: "Many of our members are opposed to this.

"They are not paid for 24-hours a day so what they do in their free
time should be up to them."