POLICE in Lancashire will be able to take days off to celebrate Pagan festivals following a new ruling.

The Pagan Police Association has just been officially recognised as a ‘diversity staff support organisation’ by the Home Office.

It means chief constables cannot refuse pagan officers’ requests to take official ‘religious holidays’, which will be given the same respect as other religions’ festivals such as Christmas, Ramadan and Passover.

These are set to include Hallowe’en and the summer solstice.

Paganism followers can include witches and druids who believe in a spiritual way of life rooted in nature.

UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall said the move was ‘ridiculous’ and questioned if it would undermine police credibility.

He said: “It is politically-correct madness of high order for the Home Office to give this approval.

“Everyone is entitled to their own religious belief and if they want to use their holiday entitlement to be off for their festivals that’s fine but it should not be a legal right.”

Mr Nuttall claims there are 500 Pagan officers nationwide, but John O’Reilly, chairman of Lancashire Police Federation said he did not know how many, if any, were serving in Lancashire.

He said: “It is up to the individual to declare what religion they follow, if at all.

“I am not aware of any issue with Paganism in the force at the moment.

Mr O’Reilly said an application for an officer to take a Pagan holiday off work would be dealt with ‘on its own merits’.

He said: “If an officer had any date which they believed was a religious holiday recognised elsewhere, we wouldn’t stand in their way.

“So long as it is in the interest of efficiency and effectiveness of the force.

“We would support any officer in a claim who had an issue or who felt the force was discriminating aganist them.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary said ‘embracing diversity was crucial to policing’.

He said: “Lancashire Constabulary recognises that in order to effectively deliver policing services, the make-up of our staff needs to be fully representative of the communities we police and that religious needs and beliefs should where possible be accommodated in order to satisfy individual requirements.”