West Midlands Police hiring new £74,000 diversity chief

West Midlands Police is hiring a new diversity chief who will be paid £74,000-a-year to "improve inclusive culture" in England's second biggest police force.

Lloyd House, the headquarters of West Midlands Police in Birmingham

The role for a new Assistant Director Fairness and Belonging is being advertised online, with the closing date for applications on January 8.

The job description says the chosen candidate will "support and oversee improved inclusive culture throughout the workplace".

"Your influence will be felt across the force," says the job advertisement.

But the move has attracted criticism from some quarters at a time when the Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, says resources are tight.

Since 2010, West Midlands Police has lost more than 2,000 officers due to £175million funding cuts by the Government.

Those cuts have prompted police chiefs to close dozens of stations - with more earmarked for closure in the Black Country - in a bid to save officer jobs.

Last month, the Home Office announced a £35.9m funding boost for West Midlands Police.

'Strange'

In response to the job advertisement, Bill Etheridge, former Dudley councillor and UKIP's current economic spokesman, said: "After a period of time when we saw police stations closed, and the police commissioner himself has been bemoaning his lack of funds, to see this kind of bizarre non job being advertised is a slap in the face for the public.

"These strange politically correct positions are not what the police should be about."

Jay Singh-Sohal, the Conservatives candidate to become the next Police and Crime Commissioner in May, said the money set aside for the new role should instead be invested in frontline policing.

Mr Singh-Sohal, an Army Reserve Captain, said: "Despite significant Government investment into his police budget, which now stands at £655m a year, the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner [David Jamieson] hides behind 'austerity', whilst wasting vast amounts of taxpayer's money on pointless roles such as this, in his bloated office that now costs residents more than £6m a year to run.

"That's taxpayer's money and resources that should be going into frontline policing to tackle rising crime across the West Midlands.

"As Police and Crime Commissioner, I will put an end to such waste and wokeness. We need less of this political correctness and more robust policing."

The role's salary will be £74,340.

To view the job, visit here.