POLICE in Greater Manchester have given the thumbs down to an order on saluting.

The order comes from their Chief Constable David Wilmot who has told his top staff the practice of saluting senior officers and funeral corteges must be reintroduced.

Mr Wilmot acted after a local funeral director complained that policemen were not saluting funeral processions.

But policemen in Greater Manchester reckon he has gone too far.

A senior inspector, who did not want to be named, said: "We don't mind saluting funeral processions but most policemen, including senior officers, hate the practice of saluting other officers.

"It smacks of militarism."

He was backed up by his sergeant, who said: "We're not in the army. In fact most of the lads don't know how to salute properly. "They feel self conscious and not only that, saluting alienates us even further from the public.

"They see us as a special force. There are still one or two inspectors and chief inspectors who love the idea, but they're from the old school.

"We show respect when we talk to senior officers and that should be sufficient.

"The Chief Constable is out of step with modern thinking."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed there had been a complaint from a funeral director .

He added: "We have taken the opportunity of reminding divisional officers of the policy on saluting which is in existence.

"The policy is that officers should salute when a funeral passes as a mark of respect, but only when it is safe and reasonable to do so.

"Officers in full uniform should salute senior officers."

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