Ethnic minority candidates 'tipped off' when rare police officer jobs became available



Police have risked breaking equality laws by tipping off candidates



Email sent to 57 people informing them about 20 posts in Nottinghamshire

Senior officers insist the email was a legitimate way of increasing diversity



Police have risked breaking equality laws by tipping off ethnic minority candidates about the rare chance to become a PC.



An email was sent to 57 non-whites letting them know that 20 posts in the Nottinghamshire force were up for grabs that day.



Only the first 75 applications were accepted and a third were sent in by black and ethnic minority candidates within hours of their being given advance notice of the recruitment drive in Nottinghamshire in March.



Police have risked breaking equality laws by tipping off ethnic minority candidates about the rare chance to become a PC. An email was sent to 57 non-whites letting them know that 20 posts in the Nottinghamshire force were up for grabs

Although the new PC jobs were posted on the force’s website, they were not advertised publicly and so many hopefuls – including volunteers and civilian staff waiting to join the front line – missed the chance to apply.



Senior officers insist the email and employment window were legitimate ways of increasing diversity. But critics say the tactics risked breaking the law by discriminating against whites.

Steps to improve equality in the workplace, known as positive action, is legal and encouraged by Labour’s 2010 Equality Act. But positive discrimination – giving a minority group preferential treatment – is illegal.



Tory MP and former lawyer Dominic Raab said: ‘The Equality Act has promoted this kind of positive discrimination by the back door. It’s anti-meritocratic in principle, and socially divisive in practice. We need to nip this kind of nonsense in the bud.’



Tory MP and former lawyer Dominic Raab said: 'The Equality Act has promoted this kind of positive discrimination by the back door. We need to nip this kind of nonsense in the bud'

One resident said: ‘It brings positive action into total disrepute. Many people would generally support it but when you find jiggery-pokery like this it gives a negative taste. It is not a method to get the best people for the job.’



Legal experts said because anyone could theoretically apply for one of the posts through the police website, the force could claim it had not broken the law.

