Search policy changed after gender ruling

A POLICE force has become one of the first to confirm it has changed its strip search policy in the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.

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British Transport Police (BTP) said a day after the judgment that it had adopted a new "interim position" which will see trans people held in custody strip searched by an officer in line with their birth sex.

This means trans women in custody will be searched by male officers, while officers who are trans women will no longer be able to search female detainees - although BTP stressed that someone can object and ask to be searched by another officer.

The public confirmation of a policy change came as the head of Britain's equalities watchdog said Wednesday's ruling means trans women cannot use single-sex female toilets or changing rooms or compete in women's sports.