UK Police Officers with criminal convictions

It was always my understanding that to be a Police Officer you could not have a criminal conviction at time of application and that anyone who incurred one during their service would likely be dismissed from the post.

Today, we find out that at least one force has (and presumably still does) employed officers who have a range of criminal convictions from assault to theft and benefits fraud to firearms convictions.

The story is reported on in Portsmouth Today.

I'm sure that on occasion there might be exceptional circumstances but by and large, do not feel the law should be upheld by convicted criminals. I'm not one and I could not recognise or accept the authority of a criminal in a uniform, could you?

Perhaps it is time for a campaign of FOIA requests to UK forces to see just how widespread this is?