MORE than five per cent of officers in Gwent Police identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community according to recent figures.

The figures – the first of their kind to be released – reveal that 58 officers recorded their sexuality as gay/lesbian, a total of 4.9 per cent of the workforce. Meanwhile, 43  - or 3.6 per cent - identified as bisexual, and three - 0.3 per cent - self-described their sexuality.

In total, 1,076 officers recorded being heterosexual – which is 91.2 per cent of the workforce who recorded their sexuality. A further 1,417 officers had not recorded their sexuality.

The true number is likely to be higher due to the fact 16.7 per cent of the workforce had not recorded their sexuality.

The data was obtained by PA news agency under the Freedom of Information laws.

The agency said that a number of officers across England and Wales are reluctant to come out to their employers due to concerns about their sexuality creating a barrier to promotion or resulting in homophobic abuse.

The data has been released following the inquest for the victims of serial killer Stephen Port, where grieving family members and friends said prejudice, a lack of LGBT officers in Barking and Dagenham, and a failure to engage with the gay community at the time meant crucial clues about his murderous spree were missed.

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Chief inspector Lee Broadstock, co-chairman of the LGBT+ network representing officers in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans officers across the country, said: “If we’re not representative of our communities then we don’t understand that community.

“There needs to be an understanding of what the communities need to give people an equitable police service.”

The force with the highest percentage of officers who recorded their sexuality as gay or lesbian was in Sussex, with 7.2 per cent. The lowest was recorded in Lincolnshire, with 2.3 per cent.

Mr Broadstock, a chief inspector with Greater Manchester Police, said: “I think what the data suggests is that there is probably a higher concentration of officers who are LGB in areas where there is a more welcoming environment for them – that’s where they will gravitate.”

But he said the true number of LGB officers in each force is likely to be higher, with no sexuality recorded for 61,000 out of 131,000 officers.

Mr Broadstock, who said he has previously experienced homophobia among colleagues and members of the public, added: “Sometimes they don’t trust what their force HR is going to do with their responses – are they going to be treated less favourably in future when it comes to promotions? – and without doubt Port shed a light on cultures within policing that are not welcoming environments.

“It is sad that that is still the case sometimes, but the picture is absolutely improving.

“If you tried to get these figures 20 years ago it would have been a very different story – I doubt you would have got any data.”

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, published in 2019, show an estimated 2.7 per cent of the UK population aged 16 and over identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, up from 2.2 per cent in 2018.

Another three per cent stated they did not know their sexuality, or refused to answer, up from 2.5 per cent in 2018.