Meet Emily, the 4ft 10ins policewoman whose rifle is almost as big as she is

Meet Britain's shortest female firearms officer, PC Emily Miller, who applied to join the force after seeing a job advertised in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Emily is a firearms officer with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary - a squad of 750 cops dedicated to protect nuclear power stations and radioactive material - and stands at just 4ft 10ins.



The 23-year-old even jokes how her Heckler & Koch assault rifle, which fires 750-rounds-a-minute, is almost as big as she is.

Short arm of the law: Firearms officer Emily Miller, who stands at 4ft 10in, is pictured with PC Bob Nagy in Didcot, Oxfordshire

Speaking to Police Review magazine today she said she applied to join the police after spotting an advertisement in Cosmo back in 2005.

She said that her height always attracts 'cocky comments', but that she is used to getting a ribbing from workers as she patrols her beat.

Emily told the magazine: 'A few of the site workers have said "That gun is nearly as big as you" - the usual banter. But I think they are used to seeing me now.'

And she revealed that other officers in her constabulary always know when she's been driving the police Land Rover because the driver's seat is so far forward.

She said: 'All I get is "Oh, Emily's been driving this car" just because they cannot get in it because the seat is so far forward."



I'd prefer a mini, me: Emily is dwarfed by her police Land Rover

The weight of carrying full kit - including a pistol and machine gun as she patrols the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire - was initially a shock to the mini-PC.

She revealed: 'We have got a belt with a Glock pistol on a leg holster. And with the body armour, tactical vest and G36 rifle, I think it is an extra stone and a half.'



Speaking about problems that come with her height, she added: 'I found it difficult doing the firing range from the sitting and kneeling positions because when I kneel I am so much smaller than everyone else.



'The target is a lot higher for me. I was trying to get myself into positions with the body armour on and I could not cross my legs and bend my arms in the right way.



Partners against crime: Britain's smallest PC Sue Day and PC Damien Galley who towers over the 4ft 10in officer at 6ft 4in and, right, the smallest male officer Robin Port, who is 5ft, pictured alongside his 6ft boss Inspector Matt Lawler



'I managed to get around it though, get some extra training and find ways that work for me.'



PC Miller said her height has never been an issue with the constabulary.



She said: 'I have never heard "You cannot do it, you are too short", it has always been "Give this way a go see if it works for you. If not, we will try and find a different way".'



One officer, who did not want to be named, said: 'Emily may be little, but she's the last one of us you'd want to mess with.

'She's a tough cookie and doesn't suffer fools gladly. She'll let you get away with one or two digs about her height, but then she'll let you have it - and believe me you won't forget that in a hurry.'



PC Miller is the latest short cop to speak out after the UK's two smallest cops - PC Sue Day, who is just half an inch shorter than PC Miller, at Wiltshire Police, and PC Robin Port, a five foot tall cop in Devon and Cornwall Police - revealed themselves last month.

Most forces inthe UK required female recruits to be at least 5ft 4ins until 10 years ago, when the Macpherson Report ruled the height restriction discriminated against those from ethnic backgrounds such as the Chinese, who are shorter.