Health and safety spoilsports are demanding a change in the wording on police bravery awards - in case they encourage others to take risks.

Gongs handed to brave officers currently state the officer in question has acted "with no thought to his or her safety".

But Helen Reynolds, a health and safety officer with Lancashire Constabulary, told the Association of Police Health and Safety Advisers Conference she would like it changed to say 'fully recognising the risks to their own safety'.

She wants the wording to be changed on all awards handed out by the 43 individual forces in England and Wales as well as the Police Federation.

But the Police Federation have already ruled out changing the wording - and some rank and file officers branded the proposal "rubbish".

Speaking after last week's conference, Mrs Reynolds said: "We need to recognise the bravery of these officers but we also need to emphasise the importance of keeping them safe.

"Safety does not prevent them from doing brave acts."

A serving PC in Brighton said: "This idea is a total nonsense. Bravery awards are one of the most noble honours - and these dimwits would be crazy to meddle with them.

"These health and safety people should concentrate on a bit of brave policing themselves instead of trying to change things which aren't broken in the first place.

"Sadly it is typical of exactly the sort of people permeating the highest ranks of British policing today.

"The bravest thing most of this lot have managed is putting on a plaster after hurting themselves while sharpening a pencil."