Female officers in Sussex Police remain outnumbered by men and fewer of them win promotion, according to new statistics.

Figures released by the Home Office show the ratio of men to women officers is three to one. Women occupy just 15 per cent of the senior ranks.

A spokesman for the Equal Opportunities Commission in Sussex said: "We believe female police officers do find it harder to secure promotion than their male colleagues and these figures demonstrate exactly that.

"There is no single reason why it is happening but there does appear to be a barrier for women serving in the police forces which does not exist for men.

"Historically the police has been a male-dominated profession and although great strides have been made recently there is still work to do."

A spokeswoman for the British Association of Women in Policing said: "Many female police staff still feel undervalued. As the profile of the workforce changes so must forces recognise the importance in addressing this."

Of the 717 Sussex officers who obtained the rank of sergeant or above up to March 2006, only 105 were female.

Across all British police forces, including British Transport Police, the National Crime Intelligence Squad and other centralised forces, women make up 16 per cent of officers ranked sergeant or above.

The top ranks of Sussex Police are an even more exclusively male domain - women make up only eight per cent of two of the highest ranks.

There were 35 male chief superintendents or superintendents but only one female chief superintendent and two superintendents.

Nobody from Sussex Police was available to comment but a spokesman for the Home Office said: "Huge strides have been made in recent years in making the police a more diverse place to work. Nationally there has been a six per cent increase in female officers since 2001. Women police officers are now supported, welcomed and valued more than at any other time in history."

New laws which will make it harder for employers to discriminate on the basis of gender come into force next month and must be adopted by all public organisations including the police.

They include a rule that employers must develop and publish a pay and promotion policy for all employees.

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