By Clifford Thompson BBC News

The government has clashed head-on with police officers in England and Wales over its decision not to backdate this year's pay award, so why is a career in the force so highly regarded by thousands of graduates in the UK?

Police graduate schemes are ranked 25th out of the top 100

The relationship between police officers and the government has reached breaking point and there is the real threat of the thin blue line snapping - if officers demand the right to strike.

The Chairwoman of the Police Federation, Jan Berry, appeared before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee today along with the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Stephen Green.

The committee, chaired by Keith Vaz, heard evidence to explore police reaction to the pay settlement and its implications for the service.

But despite the ongoing row between the home secretary and the Police Federation, a career in the police is still extremely popular with graduates, who tend to join via two routes.

Most forces offer fast-track promotion on what is known as a higher potential development scheme, or HPDS.

Alternatively many graduates who already have degrees join as constables but can also be promoted to senior ranks in a relatively short time.

First and foremost graduates want to be police officers DAC Stephen Roberts, Metropolitan Police

Unlike the military, it is not possible to join directly as an officer - every entrant has to serve their time as a constable.

The allure of a life on-the-beat, a good starting salary and the prospect of early promotion, makes it a career that ranks in the top 30 most sought after by final year students.

Most popular

Careers in the public sector occupy five of the top 25 career choices for undergraduates according to a survey of 17,000 final year students for the Times Online, by High Fliers Research.

The most sought-after company - number one in both 2006 and 2007 is PricewaterhouseCoopers, followed by rival accountants Deloitte and KPMG in second and third place respectively.

In fourth place is the Civil Service - the BBC is in fifth place.

In the latest survey a career in the police was the 25th most popular choice out of 100 companies and organisations.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Roberts is responsible for training and development.

He says that this year 46% of the force's new recruits have been graduates.

For the year 2007-8 his force is recruiting a total of 1,100 recruits from all backgrounds irrespective of whether they have a degree.

National scheme

Those who join the Met Police's high potential development scheme start on a salary of around �27,000 - which is the same for any other recruit.

If you are willing to apply yourself and willing to give yourself to the organisation, it will ensure you get the development opportunities Inspector John Carroll, HPDS graduate

Mr Roberts notes that first and foremost every recruit who joins the Met "want to be police officers".

He says any recruit has the powers of a constable and can "deprive someone of their liberty" as soon as they complete their basic training.

But he says "we are fishing in the same pool" as other professions which include the investment banks.

Mr Roberts joined the police from Cambridge 29 years ago before the existence of the HPDS.

He says the Met is actively seeking more Oxford and Cambridge graduates, as well as those from other universities.

The power to influence and negotiate are important traits, as are a "strategic view and vision of where they and the organisation is going" says Mr Roberts.

Restorative justice

John Carroll is an inspector with the Met based at Ealing.

"If you are willing to apply yourself and willing to give yourself to the organisation, it will ensure you get the development opportunities ."

Insp Carroll has served for eight-and-a-half years, and has worked on a response team answering 999 calls and in intelligence, but now he specialises in youth offending.

In this role he has worked in restorative justice providing mediation between victim and offender.

He is responsible for three sergeants and about 20 Pcs.

"The scheme has awoken the leadership bug in me,

"My passion has always been uniform work."

Select committee

At Tuesday's select committee hearing, Jan Berry spoke about the problems the police have in retaining staff, although she added lots of people are expressing an interest to join.

She told the committee: "We know lots of experienced officers are leaving to go to Canada and New Zealand".

Of all the Met's recruits in 2007-8, 46% have degrees

Mrs Berry serves as a Chief Inspector with Kent Police. She says it is important for graduates to join a force at constable level, and that it is theoretically possible to reach the rank of superintendent in five years - a post which commands a salary of about �56,000, and rises to �65,000 after five years.

Also giving evidence to the committee was Stephen Green, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police.

He told the committee that any industrial action by officers would have a long-term effect on public confidence in the police.

The chief constable said it would be a "dreadful scenario".

"It takes us into a place we really don't want to be," he adds.

His force had considered paying the full rise from its funds but legally he is not allowed to sanction this.

The Nottinghamshire force also operates a high potential development scheme - Mr Green is a former Army officer.

"What we're trying to do is find the most talented people," he added.

TOP 100 GRADUATE EMPLOYERS