British police officer commutes from Spain

PETERBOROUGH, England, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A British police officer is now commuting to his job in Peterborough, England, from a villa in Spain.

Administrators agreed to accommodate Inspector Chip Walker's new lifestyle, The Daily Mail reports. He was reassigned to supervise the lockup at a police station in Peterborough and now works two weeks on and two weeks off.

Flying to and from Spain once a month costs him about 2,000 pounds ($3,000) a year, Walker said. But he expects the lower cost of living to make up for the travel costs.

During his two weeks on duty, Walker stays with a daughter near Peterborough while his wife and cat continue to enjoy the sun in southern Spain. The couple own a three-bedroom villa in Mazarron, a town on the coast near Andalusia.

Walker said that he is careful to put his time in. He travels a day before his first shift in case of flight delays, the newspaper reported.

Some critical -- or envious -- colleagues say that Walker won't have the knowledge of the local scene necessary for good policing and that he is not available for a quick response in emergencies.