'Would You Like a Pink Gun?' Policewoman Given £20,000 for Sexist Bullying

A special officer for firearms at North Yorkshire Police has been paid £20,000 in compensation for being bullied at work by her colleagues.

The woman, identified as M, was harassed at work and told she could not work with another woman, since they would need to go to the toilet together.

She was also accused of having an affair with a senior officer and was also asked to follow a sniffer dog to a cabinet containing pornographic magazines.

"Would you like me to get you some pink guns?" a training inspector asked M according to a report in Mail Online.

An employment tribunal found that the team in which the woman worked had a "culture of discrimination."

The tribunal ruled that senior officers failed to investigate the matter despite the woman complaining repeatedly.

M told the court that the abuse she received in the workplace hampered her career and disturbed her psychologically, leaving her unable to sleep at night.

M had taken the matter to senior officers three times before making an official complaint in January 2011, by which time she had been dismissed from the firearms unit.

"It is unfortunate that in the 21st century, discrimination of this kind can still take place in the police force," Damian Kelly, M's lawyer, said after the hearing.

The woman was awarded the money after the police force was found guilty of three counts of sex discrimination.

"In view of the tribunal's earlier findings, the force accepts that the claimant officer was entitled to an award of damages," a spokesman for North Yorkshire Police was quoted as saying by Yorkshire Post.

"The force does not intend to appeal against the tribunal's awards," the spokesman continued.

The county's police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan said the case must have been "distressing" for the officer and that the compensation award was the right ruling by the tribunal.

"Speaking generally, I know how difficult it can be for a woman in a male-dominated environment. I want to ensure we have a fair and equal workplace for all," she added.