GETTY The slop has become popular with Iranians for its relaxed social environment

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A special “ski police unit” has been deployed to segregate thousands of skiers to stop them from mixing with the opposite sex. General Hossein Sajadinia confirmed the unit - who cover Elburz Mountains outside Tehran, Iran - have been equipped with new uniforms to “withstand the mountainous conditions and yet be flexible enough to arrest offenders while chasing them on the slopes”.

GETTY Alborz is situated in northern Tehran

The hotspot is popular with young Iranians who meet on the mountains where some women remove their veils while dining in the slope’s restaurants and Shisha cafés. But General Sajadinia has promised a clamp down on any misdemeanours that breach Islamic laws. He said: “This year we have sent a number of women officers to learn how to ski so they can carry out their vigilante duties of dealing with women who defy the Islamic hijab and those members of the police who play loud music while mixing with the opposite sex or commit sexual harassment.”

GETTY Police said they are aiming to clamp down on women removing their veils on the slopes

The ski slopes have traditionally been a scene for confrontation between Iran’s hardliners and the affluent residents of the capital. They are officially segregated and women are not allowed to ski in the absence of a husband, father or brother.

GETTY Hardliners have blasted Iran's government over "lax social codes