A police officer fighting cancer for two years has been ordered to return to work because regulations prohibit him retiring on medical grounds.

David Sands, a Keighley police constable for 29 years, has been on full pay since he was diagnosed as having testicular cancer in June, 2001 - earning about £58,604 over the two years.

The 51-year-old has been told by a West Yorkshire police medical officer that he is unfit for front line duties. But he has been ordered to return to work behind a desk, two hours a day five days a week, at Keighley police station. His own doctor believes he is not fit to start work and take on his full duties before he retires in 15 months time.

Last month, it was revealed that Keighley Detective Constable Hugh Brady died from heart failure, aged 44, after returning to work while still sick. He resumed his duties against the advice of his doctor, fearing he would be ignored for promotion.

PC Sands is asking West Yorkshire Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn to grant him early retirement on medical grounds. He is backed by Keighley MP Ann Cryer, who has written to Mr Cramphorn urging him to review the case because of its unusual circumstances.

If PC Sands took early retirement, he would receive a £72,000 lump sum and a pension of about £900 a month

He said: "I can't fault the force - they have supported me and kept me on full pay. But I have been paid £58,604 over two years for doing nothing and they are still prepared to pay me for the next 15 months - £41,707 for just a few hours a week. That's a total of £100,311.

"Had they let me retire two years ago and given me a lump sum of £70,000 and my pension, that would be a total of £94,600. It's a travesty to waste tax payers money when I can't perform what I'm paid to do - work as a front line officer."

A spokesman for Ann Cryer said she believed PC Sands was a genuine case and should be permitted to retire on medical grounds.

"Mrs Cryer has sympathy for PC Sands plight and is to write to Mr Cramphorn in the hope he too will take a sympathetic view," he said.

West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Chris Turton said he could not comment on an individual case but he added: "The Federation was in dispute with the force over a number of similar cases with circumstances similar to PC Sands.

"We are concerned that cases are dragging on so long when officers are on half pay or no pay and are almost being starved back to work," he said.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said individual cases could not be discussed, but it took the health and welfare of all its staff very seriously.