'A woman is a woman and a man is a man' says Portadown MLA Jonathan Buckley who is standing by Twitter comments on PSNI's 'gender identity' uniform

Mr Buckley was responding to a post by the PSNI on Saturday which showed officers at a Pride parade and also referred to the new policy on uniforms. The PSNI is now permitting officers to wear one of two hats which previously had been gender specific.

The PSNI said in the tweet that the force was ‘proud’ of its new policy. "This means all officers have agency over their gender presentation. Men, women and those with non binary identities may wear either hat. A small but meaningful step forward for equality."

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However Mr Buckley was not impressed and responded by saying: "I’m sure you all feel great. Everyone can stand around and clap each other on the back in the ‘politically correct brigade’. How about getting on with the real issues affecting people such as tackling drugs, theft and crime?"

The DUP MLA then faced a barrage of criticism notably aimed at his party’s stance on not returning to the Stormont Assembly until issues with the NI Protocol are resolved.

Fellow Upper Bann MLA Eoin Tennyson said the tweet ‘says it all about DUP priorities’. He said: "Relaxed about rising destitution and soaring waiting lists, but incensed at the smallest gesture of inclusion. Lecturing others about how to do their jobs while refusing to do their own. Brass-necked and tin-eared."

Comedian Tim McGarry said: "I wonder how a @duponline MLA has so much free time to write such drivel. Oh hang on..."

However Mr Buckley said tonight he is standing by his comments.

In a statement to Northern Ireland World he said: "There is a historic rationale for female police officers having different uniforms - primarily to enable female members of the public who have difficulty relating to male officers to have confidence in the officer they are dealing with.

"For example, female victims of domestic violence or female victims of rape or sexual offences. These individuals have a right to know that the person who approaches them following the report of an offence is biologically female (or indeed for male victims, a male officer).

"If the Chief Constable has decided that an officer can determine which sex they dress as, where does this policy eventually lead to?

"Will it lead to biological males identifying as a female demanding as a human right to be treated as a female police officer and carry out searches of females when undertaking their duty?

"Or insisting that they have the right to be present during intimate medical examination and searches of females (and vice versa, for females who claim to be males, and indeed those who identify as both male and female)?

"This latest display of the PSNI’s woke behaviour has not gone unnoticed and only serves to further undermine public confidence in local policing.

"There should be nothing controversial about protecting a basic biological fact, that being, a woman is a woman and a man is a man.”