Jason Croft and Michael Nixon walked out of Sudbury last year

The force came under fire after turning down a request to release pictures of Jason Croft and Michael Nixon.

David Coleman said that "at no point" had his force refused to issue pictures on the grounds that it might infringe the prisoners' human rights.

The public's rights "always come before those of convicted offenders," he said.

Croft and Nixon, both 28 and from Manchester, have not been seen since they walked out of Sudbury jail last year.

'Inaccurate reporting'

Both were approaching the end of life sentences, handed down in 1996, for murder.

Derbyshire Police said issuing their pictures would not serve local policing purposes.

But the force was criticised after it said it also took into account the human rights and data protection acts, among other factors, when considering the release of criminals' photographs.

Since the row broke out, the force has released the photos of three more convicted killers who have absconded from Sudbury.

Mr Coleman has dismissed criticism of the force's stance

Mr Coleman said the quote about human rights was down to "inaccurate reporting".

He commented: "Derbyshire Constabulary would like to emphatically point out that the human rights of the individuals in question had no bearing on the decision to withhold the pictures, as misreported in the national media.

"This decision was, in fact, based on the reason that there was no local policing purpose to be served by the release of these photographs to the media in Derbyshire, as inquiries indicated that Croft and Nixon had fled the county and posed no risk to Derbyshire residents.

"In making decisions of this nature, Derbyshire Constabulary's position was, and remains, that the rights and safety of the general public will always come before those of convicted offenders."

Mr Coleman added that details of the absconders, including their photographs, were circulated to other forces, including those in areas where the two men had known links.

Greater Manchester Police has now taken over the investigation.