{"id":137753,"date":"2019-11-24T22:35:22","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-7720577\/Police-officer-centre-Whaley-Bridge-evacuation-left-Twitter-abuse.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490"},"modified":"2019-11-24T22:35:22","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:35:22","slug":"police-officer-at-centre-of-whaley-bridge-evacuation-left-twitter-over-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/so\/police-officer-at-centre-of-whaley-bridge-evacuation-left-twitter-over-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Police officer at centre of Whaley Bridge evacuation ‘left Twitter over abuse’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The police officer at the centre of the Whaley Bridge evacuation left Twitter over sexist and homophobic abuse about her hairstyle. <\/p>\n

Rachel Swann was the public face of a huge police operation to evacuate 1,500 residents at risk of drowning as a dam threatened to burst.<\/p>\n

But while the families of Whaley Bridge were thanking the emergency services for saving their Peak District town, TV viewers were mocking Miss Swann’s spiked, dyed hairstyle on social media.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Rachel<\/div>\n

\"Rachel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Rachel Swann (pictured) took a break from Twitter after homophobic and sexist abuse was directed at her <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"The<\/div>\n

\"The<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The officer (pictured) was ridiculed after she appeared on BBC News during the emergency<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As a result of the cruel comments directed at her, the Derbyshire deputy chief constable took a break from Twitter.<\/p>\n

Three months on from being thrust into the public eye as a catastrophic flood disaster was averted, she has now hit out at the ‘sexist and homophobic’ abuse \u2013 and revealed the messages had been categorised as a ‘hate incident’.<\/p>\n

Miss Swann said the bullying began after she spoke at a press conference as engineers and RAF crews battled to shore up Toddbrook dam, weakened by days of rain.<\/p>\n

One comment said: ‘Is that what a senior police officer looks likely [sic] these days??’ Ex-police officer Jo Bethel said Miss Swann ‘should look more professional rather than model herself on Jedward’ \u2013 a reference to the 2009 X Factor contestants.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Pictured:<\/div>\n

\"Pictured:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Pictured: Workers shore up the Toddbrook Reservoir dam near the village of Whaley Bridge with sandbag reinforcements <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"A<\/div>\n

\"A<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A view of the Toddbrook reservoir showing most of the water drained by emergency services <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While Richard Stanley posted: ‘How on Earth are we to take a senior officer seriously if her hair resembles that of either a cockatoo or a loo brush?’ <\/p>\n

Speaking about the abuse for the first time, she told BBC Radio Derby: ‘I can take a bit of banter but it became sexist and homophobic, and really insulting.<\/p>\n

‘The bit that really hurt was people saying I had no standards and I was letting policing down.’ <\/p>\n

She added: ‘Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I might have a slightly different hairstyle. Yes, I am quite small. I could not believe that my mere existence could cause such a depth of feeling. <\/p>\n

‘Some comments were misogynistic and homophobic and the abuse has been recorded as a hate incident, just as for the public.’<\/p>\n

At the time, supporters jumped to her defence, with Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis retorting: ‘She saved a valley….that’s what’s important.’<\/p>\n

Saying he was ‘proud’ of his deputy, Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: ‘She is an exemplary officer. Her appearance and hairstyle are perfectly acceptable.’<\/p>\n

Miss Swann took a break from Twitter, but is now back. She joined Leicestershire police in 1994 and is now the National Police Chiefs Council lead on fingerprints and frontline digital mobility.<\/p>\n

While she has not discussed her personal life she says her TV appearances show growing diversity in the police. ‘In a funny way I made my stand without meaning to,’ she said.<\/p>\n

College of Policing guidelines states that public-facing staff should ensure their hair is ‘tidy’ and not be dyed in ‘conspicuously unnatural colours’. Mr Goodman abandoned that policy after taking over, saying ‘times change’.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The police officer at the centre of the Whaley Bridge evacuation left Twitter over sexist and homophobic abuse about her hairstyle.  Rachel Swann was the public face of a huge police operation to evacuate 1,500 residents at risk of drowning as a dam threatened to burst. 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