Top British police officers arrested over wine theft

London, Oct 1 : Two high-ranking British police officers have been suspended from their jobs after being arrested on suspicion of theft.

One female officer, aged 44, and one male, aged 54, were suspended from Sussex Police as a result of a criminal investigation, the force confirmed.

They were bailed until Monday while further inquiries are carried out, a Sussex Police spokesman said.

Inspector Howard Hodges is temporarily in charge of Worthing district following the arrests, the spokesman said.

He would not confirm whether Chief Inspector Sharon Rowe, current district commander for Worthing, was one of those arrested.

"We are not confirming any names. We never disclose names until someone has been charged, the spokesman said.

Earlier, Rowe and Detective Chief Inspector Jim Torbet were held when store guards swooped.

Colleagues were called after the pair was accused of shoplifting bottles of plonk. ast night both were suspended from duty as their force probed the claims.

Chief Inspector Rowe, 44, and her alleged "accomplice" are believed to have been spotted on CCTV in the wine department of the store in Shoreham, West Sussex.

Chief Inspector Rowe, who in 1998 became Brighton's first woman inspector, is district commander in nearby Worthing.

She is married to solicitor Simon, 51, and has a daughter aged ten and a son aged nine. arlier this year she called for a troublespot pub's licence to be reviewed over allegations of under-age drinking.

ANI