Internal report reveals sexual and racial harassment and bullying are rife in North Yorkshire police force

Sexual and racial harassment and bullying are rife among the staff of a police force, according to an internal report. A study by the Police Federation and trade unions found one in eight women in South Yorkshire police had suffered some form of harassment by male colleagues.

The eight-month inquiry, which followed concerns raised in a damning report by an inspector last year, concluded routine intimidation and bullying were a "large blot on the copy book" of the force. Almost half the 300 staff chosen at random for interview believed they had been treated unfairly during their time on the force - a figure rising to more than 58 per cent among black and Asian employees. "Virtually all female respondents who had ever had a CID attachment reported behaviour by some male colleagues on a range from intimidatory or harassing at worst to unwelcoming at best," the report said. The study concluded, however, that the situation was improving.