Portsmouth PCSOs trolled over beat selfie

The PCSOs posted a selfie of themselves on duty

Police have warned social media users over "inappropriate comments" about two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who shared a selfie.

The two PCSOs posted the image during their shift in central Portsmouth.

A number of comments about the women's appearance and use of make-up were posted and subsequently removed from the Portsmouth Police Facebook page.

Hampshire Constabulary urged users to "consider their comments" before posting.

The officers, part of the Charles Dickens Neighbourhood Policing Team, posted what they had been doing on their beat, including conducting hate crime investigations and case management for children subject to sexual and criminal exploitation.

In a separate post, after the selfie was shared on Monday, the force said the the majority of the comments had been supportive.

However, it added: "Rather than focus on the good work they were doing and the visible patrols they were providing their community, many of the comments were inappropriate.

"Violence doesn't just mean the physical behaviour women and girls are subjected to, it means the inappropriate comments either in person or on social media," it added.

The post subsequently received a number of supportive messages, with one calling the original comments "horrendous behaviour" and another describing them as "patronising".

Another user posted: "You can still chase, arrest, stop crime with make up on #girlpower."