A police force has been accused of discriminating against white straight people after appealing for new recruits from ethnic minorities and the gay community.

Nottinghamshire Police tweeted on Sunday: 'Nott's Police are recruiting PCs Jan 2017. If you're from a BME/LGBT+ group and want to join us, call or text Jo: 07595008494 for more info.'

The force has been branded 'racist' and 'disgraceful' by outrage internet users, after the force tweeted about the recruitment drive, which takes place in January next year.

The force tweeted on Sunday that they were looking to recruit people from BME/LGBT+ groups

Nottinghamshire Police, whose headquarters in the East Midlands are pictured above, has since been branded 'racist' and 'disgraceful' by Twitter users after publicising its recruitment drive

Twitter user Lord John Slade 52% replied: 'I'm a white English bloke, do I qualify?'

Leigho posted: 'Why not just pick the best candidates regardless of skin colour, orientation etc? Does PC stand for Politically Correct now?'

Katabasis said: 'I'm a white straight British male and therefore a minority where I live. Can I apply?'

Joe Lennon added: 'Wow racist police.'

Lee Waters, who stood for UKIP in Gedling, Nottinghamshire last year, wrote: 'Disgraceful.

'By definition no discrimination is positive! You should employ people on ability - regardless of colour or who they sleep with!'

Lord John Slade responded to the Tweet saying: 'I'm a white English bloke, do I qualify?'

Katabasis asked a similar question to Lord John Slade and said: 'I'm a white straight British male and therefore a minority where I live. Can I apply?'

Leigho also wrote to the force and said: 'Why not just pick the best candidates regardless of skin colour, orientation etc? Does PC stand for Politically Correct now?'

In response to Lee Water, a former UKIP candidate, Nottingham Police said they were proud to use #PositiveAction

Mr Waters then said Nottinghamshire Police was 'disgraceful' after they responded to his initial Tweet

NottsPolice Quality responded, saying: 'Notts Police are PROUD to use #PositiveAction initiatives as per Section 158 Equality Act 2010 and we will continue to.'

A few users supported police, with C. Seaforth Finch tweeting: 'Ignore the haters - THANK YOU for being welcoming to minorities!'

Superintendent Ted Antill, responsible for equality on the force, said: 'We are actively striving to better represent the communities we are serving.

'We know we are under-represented and that does frustrate our attempts to engage with certain communities.'

He said the force wanted more applications from ethnic minorities and LGBT communities, but officers would only be appointed on merit.

However, some users praised the Police's efforts, with C. Seaforth Finch tweeting: 'Ignore the haters - THANK YOU for being welcoming to minorities!'

Superintendent Ted Antill said that Nottinghamshire Police was 'actively striving to better represent the communities' they serve

Under section 158 of the Equality Act 2010, employers can take positive action to 'enable or encourage' people with a 'protected characteristic' (such as race, religion and sexual orientation) to overcome disadvantages associated with that characteristic.

The College of Police say this allows specific groups to be targeted 'before or at the application stage' but not that they will be employed because of their background.

Section 159 of the act does allow someone to be employed because of their protected characteristic, but only when they

Section 159 states you can only be employed because of a protected status if you are 'as qualified as or of equal merit' to an individual who does not have that status.