The chief constable for Cheshire police considered breaking the law in order to hire more officers from ethnic minorities.

Simon Byrne wants new legislation introduced to allow his police force to hire one black officer from every white one.

The chief constable's force was one of four criticised by Home Secretary Theresa May in 2015 for having no black officers.

Chief Constable Byrne wants to hire one black officer for every white one to help create a more diverse force

Three years and an outreach programme later, it now employs three.

Constable Byrne told the BBC that the law should be changed in England 'for a certain period of time' to allow the hiring of minority candidates to speed up.

This would ensure that 'for every white officer, we recruit one black officer.'

Byrne said: 'I've even taken legal advice about breaking the law, which might sound crazy as a senior police officer.

'But if we're put under pressure to change, then what are the consequences, other than reputational, from breaking the law?'

Under current equality rules employers cannot employ a job applicant because of characteristics like race, sexual orientation or gender, if other candidates are better qualified.

Byrne (pictured here during his time at the Metropolitan Police) said that he'd taken legal advice about breaking employment law

But Byrne said: 'We are not going to be lowering our standards. In Cheshire our officers have to go through a rigorous process to ensure they are fit to serve our community.

'It is the current employment law which is making it an almost impossible ambition for us to meet.'

The Chief Constable said Cheshire Police should emulate the reforms seen with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

In 2001 after decades of bloody sectarian conflict the overwhelmingly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabluary was reformed into the PSNI.

A positive discrimination programme was put in place to boost the number of Catholic officers.

Cheshire Police currently has three black officers, after having zero in 2015

The Home Office said that forces were making progress but dismissed the need for positive discrimination.

A spokesman said: 'To introduce such action would not only erode the credibility and confidence of individual officers. It would also undermine the public's expectation that progression in the police is based on merit alone

According to the UK Census approximately 3,264 'black or black British' people live in Cheshire, out of a total population of 1,027,709.