North Yorkshire Police apologises to LGBTQ+ community

Acting Chief Constable Elliot Foskett (left) and Supt Ed Haywood-Noble, the force's strategic lead for its LGBTQ+ network, issued the apology

North Yorkshire Police has issued an apology to the LGBTQ+ community for past discriminatory behaviour.

The apology was in response to a request from Peter Tatchell, who heads a human rights foundation.

Mr Tatchell appealed to all UK police forces to apologise for their "past extreme persecution" of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

In a letter to Mr Tatchell, Acting Chief Constable Elliot Foskett offered his "sincere apologies".

North Yorkshire Police said the human rights campaigner had acknowledged the force's current supportive policies towards the community but wanted to "draw a line" under historical injustices.

"I hope you will agree that some expression of remorse is appropriate... so that we can move forward together," Mr Tatchell said.

Peter Tatchell has received apologies from 12 police forces so far

Mr Foskett is the 12th UK police chief to apologise, following similar apologies by the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Gwent, Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire forces.

He said: "I offer my sincere apologies to the LGBT+ community for any historical discriminatory behaviour they were subjected to by any member of this force.

"To rebuild trust, it's important to recognise the harm caused not only to the individuals subject to unacceptable police behaviours of the past, but also the upset and distress experienced by their families and loved ones, and the LGBT+ community as a whole."

He added that it was important to "acknowledge former injustices to forge stronger relationships for the future".

"As a bisexual man myself, I understand some of the challenges that our LGBTQ+ communities, both externally and internally, continue to face," he added.

He said he hoped that his response and staff actions had shown that policing is "listening, learning, and changing".