Northamptonshire Police chief Nick Adderley offers to pay for thin blue line badges

Northamptonshire chief constable Nick Adderley said he would pay for thin blue line badges with his own money

A chief constable has offered to pay for thin blue line badges for his officers after the Met Police were banned from wearing them.

The badge was created as a "mark of remembrance and respect" for officers who have died while working.

Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the badge was "contentious".

Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley said he would not allow a minority to "twist the meaning" of the patch.

The grey union flag badge, with a thin blue line running through it, is produced by the Care of Police Survivors charity and sold to raise money for the families of police officers who died in the line of duty.

The emblems are sold in support of the Care of Police Survivors charity

Sir Mark told London City Hall's Police and Crime Committee he was "cautious" about officers "showing allegiance to any cause" on their uniform.

He said that in the US, the equivalent badge to the thin blue line one "has ended up being both a policing symbol and is being used by some hard-right groups".

"That's why this is a tricky territory. This is contentious," he added.

• Met commissioner defends thin blue line badge ban

• PC told to remove charity badge

• Police asked 'not to wear union badge'

In a tweet, Mr Adderley said: "I pass no comment regarding the communication sent out by the Met Police re the wearing of the thin blue line patch as I have no detail regarding it.

"What I will say is that I encourage my officers to wear this patch, with pride, as a mark of respect to fallen officers.

"I have offered to pay for the patch, for my officers and staff, (my own money) if they wish to wear it as I am determined never to allow a minority to twist the meaning of this patch, which risks the memory of fallen officers being driven into an abyss of hushed tones."

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