Blair set to appoint nation's drug tsar
by Nicholas Rufford Home Affairs Editor

A CHIEF constable who once said he could envisage the legalisation of
cannabis and called for licensed brothels is on a shortlist to be Britain's
new "drug tsar".

Keith Hellawell, chief constable of West Yorkshire, along with Ian Oliver,
chief constable of Grampian, and Peter Storr, an executive of the United
Nations drug control programme, are three contenders out of 200 applicants
to lead Tony Blair's fight against the illegal use of drugs.

Downing Street is refusing to identify the successful candidate, who will
be informed tomorrow. "The tsar will need to take a cool, hard look at what
is needed to smash this menace to society," said Blair when he outlined his
plans.

Hellawell said in a BBC television interview in 1994 that he could foresee
cannabis being legalised one day. Yesterday, he said legalisation was not
the answer. "The efforts [at legalisation] in Alaska have been a disaster,
what is happening in Holland is a mess, there is just no justification for
it," he said.

Hellawell, a 56yearold grandfather, said to be the model for Anglia TV's
The Chief (played by Martin Shaw), has also called for licensed brothels.
In 1995 he was named communicator of the year by the Institute of Public
Relations.

Additional reporting: Jonathon CarrBrown