MORE than 100 Dorset Police officers will join a protest over pay in London next week.

They will travel to Westminster with up to 15,000 of their colleagues from across England and Wales The pay row has escalated to the extent where a Dorset Police leader has called for Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to resign.

Clive Chamberlain, county chairman of the Police Federation, slammed the "dishonourable" way she has handled the dispute and added: "If she cannot act honourably she should resign and take some of her advisers with her."

Mr Chamberlain said the protest, planned for January 23, is the only way police officers can legally show their lack of trust in the Home Secretary - they are banned from joining a trade union or taking any form of industrial action.

They originally planned a march through Parliament Square but permission was denied so instead they will queue in single file at the public entrance to the Houses of Parliament, a move certain to embarrass the government.

The Police Arbitration Tribunal recommended a pay rise of 2.5 per cent to be backdated to September but the Police Federation claims Jacqui Smith's decision to backdate it only until December 1 effectively reduces the deal to 1.9 per cent.

"The Police Federation has made several attempts to reconcile this matter with the Home Secretary by requesting that she enter talks yet she has so far failed to give any indication that she is willing to reconsider," said Mr Chamberlain.

"I understand the Home Secretary was hoping that this was all going to go away after Christmas but officers are really angry and are not going to let this rest."

Around 120 Dorset officers attending the protest will be off-duty at the time.