A POLICE force is opening up "crying rooms" for female officers going through the menopause.

Nottinghamshire Police are also planning to provide extra desk fans for female staff and give them better access to showers to help cope with hot flushes.

3 Female officers and staff will be given 'crying rooms' and fans to cool them down during the menopause Credit: Corbis - Getty

The plans have been introduced after former Chief Constable Sue Fish, who retired last year, discovered women were leaving the force after suffering menopausal symptoms.

She said: "It was just a waste of talent. Bringing in a policy was absolutely the right thing to do."

But the policy - brought in earlier this month after a 'Menopause Manager's Guide' was written by Detective Constable Keeley Mansell - has been branded "patronising" by critics.

Guidelines state that "private areas/spaces" must be made available for "women to rest/recover/make a telephone call to personal or professional support."

3 Female officers will also be given control of the thermostat (file picture) Credit: Alamy

It adds: "Women going through the menopause may need to manage the impact of symptoms, a private space to rest temporarily, cry or talk with a colleague before they can return to their workspace."

Female officers and civilian staff will also be given desks close to a window to help them cool down and the guide also recommends they have control of the thermostat in the office.

Frontline officers may also be permitted to dispense with body armour if it proves uncomfortable.

The guide also recommends one-to-one fitness tests if female officers are suffering from "low self-esteem".

3 The plans have been slammed by critics Credit: Getty - Contributor

It states: "Confidence can be a barrier and at a time when a female feels low self-esteem or not herself, the task of running in front of male colleagues can be daunting."

But the new rules have been slammed by critics, who argue they are "patronising".

Sam Taylor, editor of The Lady magazine, told the Daily Mail: "The police are being indulgent. By the time a woman hits her mid-40s, she really should be able to pull herself together when she’s having a hot flush.

"I work in a magazine full of middle-aged women and if they feel a bit overwrought, they go home after work and have a stiff gin and tonic or mainline chocolate Hobnobs and sweet tea."

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While Tory MP David Davies branded the move "insulting".

He said: "I don't think they need to be told they may need a private space to cry.

"That's a little bit insulting to women officers who confront very tough situations on a daily basis."

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