LANCASHIRE police bosses are to ask all officers and staff if they are straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual in the next couple of months. Crime Reporter IAN SINGLETON looks at the benefits of asking such a question -- and whether it should be posed in the first place.

IT took Police Constable Keith Little seven years before he felt able to 'come out' to his colleagues.

Lancashire's Gay Police Association co-ordinator said: "People who haven't come out have to be careful in what they say to friends and colleagues about things like what they did at the weekend.

"They will change pronouns from 'him' to 'she' and it causes a high amount of stress.

"For the seven years before I came out I was a fairly private person and wasn't socialising with colleagues.

"When a relationship I was in ended I was on my own and there was no one at work to talk to.

"If that happened now, I would have the support of my colleagues.

"In the end, coming out wasn't that hard because most people had guessed. I am glad I did it. It is one less pressure on me.

"It is important to say that Lancashire is leading the way, and working environments here are pretty good.

"But there are still people who are too scared to come out."

This is why PC Little, who lives in East Lancashire but works as a trainer at the police training centre in Morecambe, supports the move to ask officers and staff for their sexual orientation.

He believes it will show that gay, lesbian and bisexual people are valued.

PC Little, who has been in the force for 18 years, said: "It will benefit the staff to come out if they see it is a safe place to do so.

"But it is not just about coming out, it is about creating an environment where there is a diverse workforce which can better serve the communities.

"For example, a case involving a gay or lesbian person might be better dealt with by a gay or lesbian officer.

"Hopefully it will also assist the general workforce in getting rid of the silly stereotypes that lesbians are butch and gay people are all effeminate.

"We are not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment."

The anonymous questionnaire will be sent out in the next couple of months.

More than 5,500 officers and staff in the county can tick one of five boxes -- straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or 'prefer not to say'.

Bosses will use the information to find out the true level of gay staff for the first time.

Lancashire Constabulary is one of three forces in the country testing the questionnaire.

It is a pilot scheme before the government starts asking all police applicants their sexual orientation from October.

Steve Edwards, chair of the Lancashire Police Federation, representing rank and file officers, also supports the move -- as long as taking part is not compulsory and the results taken anonymously and confidentially.

However he does have concerns whether a number of people may just fail to respond, rendering the results invalid. Mr Edwards added: "It don't know if it will be worthwhile. It is up to people to respond. Perhaps whether they do or not will show whether people feel confident in coming forward.

"As far as I am aware, the constabulary wants to find out the make up of the constabulary -- I suppose there is some worth in finding that out."