Police force wrong to join Pride in uniform, high court rules

Police chiefs have been left stunned after the high court ruled that officers were wrong to wear their uniforms to take part in last year's Pride festival in Newcastle.

- Vikram Dodd

The judgment found that the chief constable of Northumbria acted "irrationally" and breached a duty of impartiality by officially supporting the event, which was alleged to have supported views that people could change their gender.

The ruling followed a case brought by a woman who objected to officers taking part in the event in their uniform and representing the force, which covers Newcastle.

The claimant, Linzi Smith, believes sex is immutable and alleged the event supported an ideology that gender can be chosen.

The ruling found that Vanessa Jardine, the chief constable, was wrong to allow uniformed officers to take part, marching in uniform bearing Pride flags and painting a police van in colours supporting the event.