A red-faced police officer was forced to retrieve his cap from a canal in front of a laughing hen party - after lending it to the bride-to-be for a photo.

The ‘hen’ perched the hat on her head for a snap but moments later it fell into the drink.

To the amusement of her watching pals, the poor officer was able retrieve his headgear, although it was very wet, from the canal at Deansgate Locks in Manchester city centre.

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The sheepish officer later told his superiors he now regrets being so accommodating with his iconic custodian helmet.

A colleague said: “We do encourage officers to engage with the public, if it’s not distracting them from tackling crime or anti-social behaviour.”

For years, GMP officers have not worn their force-issue helmets apart from certain occasions, for instance when they are required to appear in court.

City centre police tweeted about the incident afterwards, posting a picture of a helmet and said: “Cop regrets lending helmet to hen party for a photo Deansgate Locks, after it fell off bride-to-be's head into canal.”