Wiltshire Police hand out rainbow shoulder tags

The tabs are being worn by Wiltshire Police officers to show their support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community.

It comes as people and groups around the country have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the law legalising homosexuality.

A total of 353 rainbow epaulettes have been ordered for frontline police officers and staff so far, Wiltshire Police said.

Officers are able to wear the epaulettes, which boast a small rainbow-flag, as part of their ordinary uniform.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “We feel that offering the rainbow epaulettes allows LGBT officers and staff to express their gender or sexuality in a proud way that also reflects the community we serve as a police service.

“We are allowing all officers and staff the opportunity to wear rainbow epaulettes as a picture of who they are or to wear them to show support for LGBT colleagues and friends in the force and the community.

“The Chief Constable is wearing his and agrees all who want to wear them should.”

In wearing the new rainbow epaulettes the force has followed in the footsteps of Avon and Somerset Police, who introduced their rainbow epaulette’s for a 2015 pride march.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman added: “It was felt that if officers and staff are able to express their own gender preference through wearing them then the community will see that we are a reflection of them and are working to achieve the best in an open and inclusive society”

Earlier this year, officers from Wiltshire Police led the colourful Swindon and Wiltshire Pride march – walking from Town Gardens through the centre of Old Town.

At that July event Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson said: “It’s a terrific day. This is a very important day for the LGBT community in Wiltshire generally.

“The police are here both as an employer, because we want the constabulary to reflect the communities in which it works, but also because we want to give confidence to minority groups.”