A former president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) has said that the "time is right" for reform of the police but not for all of the proposed radical reforms.

Sir Chris Fox was speaking after an independent review has proposed the most radical shake up of policing for more than 30 years with calls for an end to a ban on compulsory redundancies and the introduction of annual fitness tests for officers, with pay cuts for those who fail.

Sir Chris said that a little bit unfair to say that police are unwilling to reform and that these terms and conditions for policing "designed for a police force from a different world".

He said that the idea of police fitness tests is "spot on" but must be "for the job they do and not to become an Olympic athlete".

On proposals to recruit people in at higher levels Sir Chris Fox said he didn't have a problem with accelerated promotion "because it is about training and experience" and works but direct entry would not.

"You wouldn't ask someone who manages a Marks and Spencer's store to be a colonel in the army in Afghanistan even after 16 weeks of training", he added.

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