A NEW South Wales police officer has been charged with drink-driving in a police vehicle while on duty.

The male senior constable, who is attached to a local area command within the Southern Region, returned to the station after driving an unmarked police car just after 3.30pm yesterday.

After speaking with a senior officer, he was breath-tested with a reading of 0.138, almost three times the legal alcohol limit.

The officer was issued with a Field Court Attendance Notice for mid-range PCA (prescribed concentration of alcohol) and is due to appear before Nowra Local Court on Monday April 4.