Wellington, New Zealand (AHN)-A New Zealand policewoman has been censured for moonlighting as a prostitute, but is being allowed to keep her day job after giving up the controversial night duties.

While prostitution is legal in New Zealand and police are allowed to take approved second jobs, a top officer says sex work and police work don't mix.

Police say the policewoman had worked for a limited time as a prostitute in the northern city of Auckland before her clandestine activity was uncovered. Her name and rank have not been made public.

Police media communications manager Jon Neilson tells the AP he understood the officer had taken up "secondary employment due to financial difficulties," but had not sought police approval to work in the sex industry.

Deputy Police Commissioner Lyn Provost also says the police officer has been counseled over the matter, which "under police procedures .... amounts to a censure," adding that, "I can assure the public that ... this type of secondary employment would never be approved given that the type of work is inappropriate and incompatible with policing."

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective tells the AP, "We have law students that are sex workers, we have doctors that are sex workers, I mean anyone can be a sex worker. NZPC's philosophy is that we support people that are in that (for) secondary employment."