SUSSEX police officers are allowed to wear a small badge showing their support for a police charity, police bosses ruled today.  

But the force says a similar patch also being sold in aid of Care of Police Survivors is too big and may not be worn. 

Police bosses met with officers' representatives today after a row erupted when an officer was ordered to remove the patch due to uniform policy over the weekend. 

The badges and patches show a Union flag with a thin blue line running through it and are being sold by website UK Cop Humour. 

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry, who heads Sussex Police's uniforms committee, said this afternoon: "I have met with a number of interested parties across the Force today (February 17), including the Sussex Police Federation and Unison, to discuss matters that have arisen as a result of the Thin Blue Line badge.

"We are agreed that while the wearing of a discreet badge or pin is acceptable under our uniform policy, the size of the Thin Blue Line patch (70 x 38mm) is not.

"The emblem itself is appropriate when taken as representative of the charitable organisation, Care Of Police Survivors, which is an organisation we support.

He added: "The policy exists to ensure that there is a standard professional appearance for our uniformed officers and we feel that the size of this particular version of the badge would detract from that standard."

Care of Police Survivors is a charity that helps the families of police officers who have lost their lives while doing their jobs. 

On Friday Sussex Police's chief constable, Giles York, Tweeted that he had not bought one of the badges as he felt there was "something negative in its messaging" adding that he "may be wrong". 

Yesterday Mark White, from the Sussex branch of the Police Federation, rejected speculation that the emblem had a political message at a time of budget cuts, or that it was interpreted as such by police bosses. 

He said: "It is certainly not a political badge and my understanding is it was
asked to be taken off because it goes against force policy.

“People are saying the thin blue line is indicative of police cuts but you go back 20 years and then it was known as the thin blue line so it is just a generic term to describe the police.”