HIGH-PROFILE York policeman Arthur Swaine has sensationally quit North Yorkshire Police after 607 days on suspension.

The former licensing officer, who is considering suing the police over "a number of matters", tendered his resignation to police at Harrogate Magistrates Court, where he was this week bound over to keep the peace.

PC Swaine appeared at court on Monday to face charges of making nuisance phone calls and using threatening behaviour earlier this year towards his wife, Heather, but the Crown offered no evidence.

Chief Constable David Kenworthy, who received the handwritten note signed by PC Swaine, says he is still considering the offer of resignation and separate internal investigations may still be pursued.

PC Swaine was bound over by magistrates for two years in the sum of £500 after admitting causing a breach of the peace, following Monday's dramatic day in court.

"I have given over 27 years of excellent police service and hope I have benefited a lot of York people by doing so," PC Swaine told the Evening Press in an exclusive interview today. It has been a distressing time and I felt upset, emotional and under pressure at court.

"As far as I am concerned, I am now out of a job and have no income.

"I want to be able to support our two children, but can't. I don't know what I am going to do now. I feel like I have leper written on my forehead."

He said he had considered suicide over the past few months.

PC Swaine was suspended on full pay in January, 2000, after his arrest in connection with an armed robbery at a village post office and over an allegation of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was never charged with these offences.

He was due to face an internal disciplinary hearing later this month over four matters not connected with the armed robbery allegation.

The internal investigations were in relation to possession of cannabis (for which he was convicted and fined £75 by Harrogate magistrates last year), alleged misuse of a force car, allegedly failing to perform his duty and allegedly inciting a witness to lie.

But if PC Swaine's resignation is accepted, this hearing would then be abandoned and he would walk away from the job.

Mr Kenworthy told the Evening Press today: "He (PC Swaine) did a lot of good work in running the licensing office in York, but over the last 20 months he has had problems with his private life and his standards fell well below that which we expect.

"We have to take complaints and allegations seriously. The whole basis of the criminal justice system is the integrity of police officers."

He added that a decision over the resignation would be made in the near future, and would be based on whether or not it was in the public interest to continue with the expensive internal hearings.

Along with colleague PC Alan Sunderland, PC Swaine introduced new initiatives such as the use of sniffer dogs at nightclubs to combat drug dealers, drug and alcohol roadshows, banning the sale of alcopops and the setting up of the successful Doorsafe scheme, for which he received a commendation from police commanders.

He gained a reputation for being tough on the granting of licences.

Updated: 11:14 Wednesday, September 05, 2001