HAMPSHIRE police will continue to ban male officers from wearing earrings.

Complaints were made about the uniform policy that allowed female officers to wear earrings but not men, prompting criticism that the rule was anti-gay and discriminatory.

The complaints sparked a two-week review by the force's personnel department.

It was thought the review might conclude that earrings should be banned across the board. But it has concluded that there should be no change in the current policy.

Hampshire police's head of personnel Maureen Adamson said: "We have decided there will be no change in the policy.

"We reviewed the policy and we felt it was not discriminatory. We felt it was important that officers dressed conventionally and we don't believe it is conventional for male officers to wear earrings. When society changes its conventions then we will look again at the uniform policy."

Mrs Adamson said she did not expect there to be a backlash as a result of the decision.

The review was sparked after an officer complained to Hampshire Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Resource Group that the policy, which was published in an updated version of Hampshire police uniform policy, was discriminatory.

At the time spokesman for the group Sgt Julie Fry said she personally didn't believe the policy meant that Hampshire police was homophobic and added that the force had adopted a very positive attitude towards gay colleagues.

No one from the group was available for comment yesterday on whether they would take issue with the decision.