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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Derbyshire Police: Choir of male PCs 'not very PC' | Derbyshire Police: Choir of male PCs 'not very PC' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A police male voice choir is changing its name and distancing itself from its force after being told it went against equal opportunities policies. | A police male voice choir is changing its name and distancing itself from its force after being told it went against equal opportunities policies. |
| Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir was asked to become a mixed-voice group in September last year. | Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir was asked to become a mixed-voice group in September last year. |
| But chairman Kevin Griffiths said it would be "difficult" to hire the 50 women needed to balance the sound. | But chairman Kevin Griffiths said it would be "difficult" to hire the 50 women needed to balance the sound. |
| Derbyshire Police chief constable Peter Goodman said the group was "incompatible" with force policies. | Derbyshire Police chief constable Peter Goodman said the group was "incompatible" with force policies. |
| Earlier this week, Derbyshire was announced as the force with the largest gender pay gap in the country. | Earlier this week, Derbyshire was announced as the force with the largest gender pay gap in the country. |
| The choir is made up of about 35 ex-officers and has raised £750,000 for charity since it was founded. | The choir is made up of about 35 ex-officers and has raised £750,000 for charity since it was founded. |
| It will now be known as the Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir. | It will now be known as the Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir. |
| No women asked | No women asked |
| Mr Griffiths said the group met with the chief constable in January to discuss the issue, but was given a notice in March saying authorisation to use the force in its name had been revoked. | Mr Griffiths said the group met with the chief constable in January to discuss the issue, but was given a notice in March saying authorisation to use the force in its name had been revoked. |
| "We fully understand the rationale behind Mr Goodman's decision," he said. | "We fully understand the rationale behind Mr Goodman's decision," he said. |
| "We are very good at what we do, and to undertake such a change [becoming a mixed choir] would have required the recruitment of up to 50 new female members with a host of associated costs. | "We are very good at what we do, and to undertake such a change [becoming a mixed choir] would have required the recruitment of up to 50 new female members with a host of associated costs. |
| "We felt that to attempt such a change would have destroyed the choir and felt it was better to sever our association with the constabulary and continue the good work we do under a new name." | "We felt that to attempt such a change would have destroyed the choir and felt it was better to sever our association with the constabulary and continue the good work we do under a new name." |
| Mr Griffiths added that no women had asked to become members of the choir in its history. | Mr Griffiths added that no women had asked to become members of the choir in its history. |
| "[Our members] sing in mixed choirs, and we enjoy it, but there's just something about a male voice choir," he said. | "[Our members] sing in mixed choirs, and we enjoy it, but there's just something about a male voice choir," he said. |
| Mr Goodman said his force is "an equal opportunities employer" and "committed to having an organisation where there are no enclaves where people from different backgrounds cannot go". | Mr Goodman said his force is "an equal opportunities employer" and "committed to having an organisation where there are no enclaves where people from different backgrounds cannot go". |
| "I wish [the choir] all the very best for the future," he added. | "I wish [the choir] all the very best for the future," he added. |