POLICE have been accused of political correctness gone mad after circulating a checklist to staff telling them how to organise Christmas parties.

The memo, which has been e-mailed to all officers in Lancashire Constabulary, sets out a list of things to consider when planning events to ensure nobody is offended or left out.

Officers today labelled the move petty and pathetic and some politicians said the force had gone too far.

But the Police Federation, the rank and file officers' union, backed the memo, saying it was a gentle reminder of the things people sometimes forgot to take into account.

The checklist, sent from the force's Equal Opportunities Unit at headquarters in Hutton, near Preston, warns staff to:

lUse inclusive language when writing to colleagues about the social event, eg, partners welcome instead of spouses welcome

lConsider disabled colleagues when booking venues or activities

lConsider the content of any acts booked to appear at events in case they are offensive

lConsider the suitability of entertainment on offer if going on a team outing

lConsider the dietary requirements of all colleagues in catering arrangements

lDiscuss with colleagues how to challenge inappropriate behaviour

lCheck arrangements for events fit with the religious calendar, eg meetings at sunset during Ramadan

lPublicise the care taken

The list has been dismissed by some officers and they said police should spend more time fighting crime and less time trying to be politically correct.

One officer, who works in Blackburn, but asked to remain anonymous, described himself as "an insulted police officer" after receiving a copy of the memo.

He said: "This is a prime example of how petty and pathetic the modern police service is becoming. If we all spent less time worrying about not upsetting people and more time fighting crime, we might be able to make the county a safer place."

Another added: "This does seem to go over the top and it's really patronising, political correctness gone mad. But I think people have found it quite amusing and won't take it too seriously. Of course organisers bear in mind these points, but they don't need a reminder like this. A lot of people thought it was a joke when they received it."

One police officer working in Pennine Division said there had been a "marked" increase in the number of politically correct directives being sent out to officers.

So an accident 'blackspot' is now an accident 'hotspot' and WPCs are now simply PCs.

He said: "I don't know of any female officers who thought it was important to be called PC. Whoever writes these things must be on a another planet.

"It seems as if we are all scared to death of offending somebody else. Who knows where it will all end?"

He also revealed that the offending e-mail had been a source of amusement since it had been sent. It said that officers must consider the content of any entertainment act booked for social occasions.

"They must be scared of getting Bernard Manning again," the officer added.

Blackburn with Darwen Council Tory councillor Edward Harrison said: "This sounds like Big Brother to me, it's absurd. The lunatics are running the asylum and they have gone well over the top."

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "I understand the efforts the police are taking to try to avoid bad publicity about Christmas celebrations, however because of what they are doing I think they will achieve that bad publicity."

Lancashire Police Federation spokesman Steve Edwards said: "This is about trying to encourage an inclusive society and we would support that. Sometimes people can be unintentionally exclusive and this is just a gentle reminder for people organising events to bear in mind different racial, social or religious backgrounds."

Burnley MP Peter Pike commented: "The police are being sensible. Care needs to be taken in view of what has happened in the past, but I hope everyone enjoys themselves."

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "This was an internal memo and we are disappointed it has been circulated outside the force, however the advice being given is in line with our equal opportunities policy and was given in that respect to ensure people do not behave inappropriately."