COPS spent £100,000 trying to adapt a helmet to fit over a Sikh officer’s turban after he accused them of discrimination.

The row flared when the PC applied to join the crack counter-terrorist Operational Support Unit.

Senior officers turned him down because normal protective helmets and gasmasks would not fit over his turban and beard.

So he was given 18 months on full pay to contact manufacturers asking if they could adapt the equipment, which protects against chemical or biological attacks.

But when that failed to produce a solution, the cop went off sick with stress.

Last night a senior police source said the project had been a waste of taxpayers’ cash. He added: “You can’t do the job without the proper equipment but when this officer’s application was turned down, he claimed he was being discriminated against.

“He was allowed to look into the problem. We reckon with his wages that cost up to £100,000 over the 18 months.

“Then he went on the long-term sick as soon as going back to his normal police job.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman defended the amount of money spent.

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He explained: “As an employer committed to equality and diversity, we are working to try and find a solution to what is a national issue.”

But John Mellor, a former superintendent in the force, said: “This is health and safety gone mad.

“Sikhs fought bravely for the British, wearing their turbans, for centuries.

“If this officer wishes to be in the OSU at his own risk, he should be able to carry out his duties without the equipment.”

Reminds me of the episode of Only Fools and Horse when Dell Boy create a crash helmet for the Sikhs

If he decides to live in a country with certain equipment requirements for some occupations (hard hats, helmets, whatever) then it is his responsibility to adapt - not the responsibility of the rest of the country. When we decide we want to travel or live in another country, I would think that most of us would expect to comply with that country's laws. If thelaws were so repulsive to us on personal or religious grounds that we could not comply, most of us would have the sense to either not go there or to not need to apply the law or laws in question to our situation.

These people who want their cake and eat it too are spoon thread by liberals/loony leftists. When they have finished the cake, the loons go and bake them another one. It's time western nations took a stand based upon good old common sense.

.................good old common sense.

A very rare commodity these days.

One only has to look at good old Monty Panesar for inspiration. Our Monty takes to the wicket of battle his head protected when in bat with standard equipment because he chooses to compromise. True equality always takes a degree of compromise on both sides. It is the racist who refuses to compromise for the good of the majority, if the compromise is just and does not offend any normal sane individual.................Gotta love Monty and well, not love this self-centered igit.