Off-duty Northumbria Police officers who choose to take part in a Pride event this weekend have been told they must not wear clothing linking them to the force.
The decision by Northumbria Police comes after a court ruled that the force acted unlawfully by allowing its officers to take part in a Pride event last year.
High Court judge Mr Justice Linden said his ruling on Wednesday related only to the 2024 event and that it was up to the force to decide how it approaches Saturday’s parade.
Northumbria Police has now confirmed uniformed officers will not be permitted to take part and said any of those who are off-duty and do participate must not visibly identify themselves as being officers or members of the force through clothing, flags, or accessories.
In an update on Friday, the force also said any participating off-duty officers must not “express support for political aims (e.g. changes to law or policy) or opposition to other lawful views”.
On-duty attendance “is only permitted where it forms part of the official policing response”, the force said.
In a statement it said the approach was “designed to maintain public confidence in our impartiality, while also respecting our employees’ individual rights under the European Convention on Human Rights”.
It added: “This guidance is not about limiting personal expression, but about ensuring that when our people represent Northumbria Police, they do so in a way that is fair, balanced, and impartial to all communities.”
Lindsey Smith, who describes herself as a “gender critical” lesbian, took legal action against Northumbria Police over its decision to allow officers to participate in the Newcastle Pride in the City event last July, in which she also participated.
Lawyers for Ms Smith told the High Court that the officers’ involvement breached impartiality rules, and that the decision to allow them to take part was unlawful, although barristers for the force opposed the challenge, claiming the decision, made by Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, was within her “discretion”.
In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden said Ms Smith is opposed to “gender ideology”, which she believes is “wrong and dangerous” but has been “embraced” by the organisers of the event, Northern Pride.
While Ms Smith agreed that the event should be policed, she objected to officers “associating themselves with the views of supporters of gender ideology and transgender activists by actively participating”, the judge said.
Last year’s event saw uniformed officers march with some carrying flags which included Pride colours alongside police insignia, and others wearing uniforms with the word “Police” in Pride colours.
There was also a “static display” staffed by uniformed officers, which displayed a Progressive Pride flag, which includes representation of transgender and non-binary people, people of marginalised ethnicities and those living with Aids, the judge said.
A police van with the colours of the transgender Pride flag painted on its sides was also present, the court was told.
Northumbria Police said it will have a community engagement display at Northern Pride this weekend, adding that it believed a complete withdrawal of police engagement from such events “would be a retrograde step and damage trust and confidence amongst members of LGBTQ+ community”.
The force added: “We want to ensure everyone knows that we are absolutely here for them when they need us.”
The LGB Alliance charity called on the rest of the UK’s police forces to follow suit on the withdrawal of uniformed officers from such events and to put in place measures around the participation of off-duty officers.
The charity’s chief executive Kate Barker said: “Since our founding, LGB Alliance has been working with police and crime commissioners to raise our supporters’ concerns about partisan policing that favours gender activists over LGB people.
“We will continue this work until the UK’s remaining 42 forces follow the lead of their colleagues in Northumbria, and stop endorsing a movement they do not understand.”
