Bobbies in Bradford are moonlighting as teachers, TV extras and rugby league coaches, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal.

Seventeen constables, sergeants or inspectors in the Bradford North and Bradford South divisions have alternative employment away from the police station.

Home Office documents, uncovered under the Freedom of Information Act, show that 176 of the force's 5,784 officers have registered additional jobs.

One officer in Bradford South supplements a police salary by writing children's stories. Another is a rugby coach.

In Keighley, 13 officers are moonlighting - one is a driving instructor and another repairs computer equipment.

And in Pudsey-Weetwood, which has England's third highest burglary rate, ten officers have alternative employment, including a landscape gardener and a mobile DJ.

A constable in the operations unit works as a male model and several officers have also registered money they make from rental properties.

Tom McGhie, chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said he was concerned.

"We would prefer that officers did not feel under pressure to take a second job," he said. "I don't think you can be committed to two careers. We would not want a second role to affect their judgement when they are doing their primary role of police officer."

Mr Mc Ghie said that officers with second jobs were mainly young PCs on starting salaries or officers nearing the end of their police careers.

He said: "Quite a lot are young in service and find it difficult to meet all their commitments on a police officer's starting salary.

"The easy answer is they should be paid more and the police negotiating board is looking at ways of reducing the length of time it takes PCs to get to the top of the pay scale, which is currently 11 years.

"Other officers are getting towards the end of their police service and are trying to think about their options for the future."

A PC's starting salary is £20,397, rising to £32,025. A sergeant earns between £32,025 and £35,991, and an inspector's pay ranges from £41,034 to £44,508.

Chief Superintendent Allan Doherty, divisional commander of Bradford North Police, said that with 17 Bradford officers, out of between 700 and 800, having second jobs, the average was lower than other parts of the country.

He said: "We carefully look at what the job is and make sure it does not impact on their ability to do their day-to-day job.

"They do it in their own time and it is not a problem for Bradford police. The occupations are properly vetted and we are satisfied they do not conflict with our impartiality."

A spokesman for the Police Federation in West Yorkshire said young police officers had a number of specialist financial commitments.

Every officer, from a PC to Chief Constable, has 11 per cent of their salary deducted each month for the pension fund.

Young officers also contribute more than £60 a month into Federation funds.

Many also take out life and accident insurance because of the nature of the job.

Most officers in West Yorkshire work a six days on, four days off system, giving them the spare time for a second occupation.

The Federation spokesman said the declaration of business interests could be something as minor as being paid 20p a mile to travel to referee a junior soccer match at the weekend.

Police officers are allowed to have credit card debts or bank loans but if they acquired unlawful debts involving county court judgements or bankruptcy they could face disciplinary procedures.

West Yorkshire police has strict rules about its officers taking second jobs.

It says that officers must not take up a job at the expense of the force and the main job as a police officer has to come first.

Officers who want to take up a second job must apply to the force vetting officer and write to the force personnel department.

A force spokesman said officers, of any rank, had a right to a business interest within Police Regulations.

She added: "West Yorkshire Police is bound by these Regulations and assesses each and every case on its merits."

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has pledged to work with the Police Federation to help reduce the need for police to take second jobs.