FEARS of homophobia within Britain’s police forces are not shared by Wiltshire Police’s LGBT officer, Lee Hare.

Many gay and lesbian police officers still fear the consequences of revealing their sexuality as they rise through the ranks, according to new research.

A survey of 1,300 senior police officers by the Police Superinten-dents’ Association of England and Wales found four of 10 lesbian or gay superintendents and chief superintendents had experienced discrimination in the policing workplace.

Mr Hare, a police community support officer based out of North Swindon, is the Unison union’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender officer in the county.

Although he has never experienced such concerns in his own line of work, he can appreciate it may well be a secret concern of the force’s senior officers.

“I was openly gay from the application form stage,” he said.

“There were no secrets during training. At the time I had a partner and there were no issues at all.

“The only thing with that survey is the length of time the people might have been with the force.

“Those in the job a lot longer than some of us may have joined in the early stages of it being legalised, which might affect opinions.

“It’s difficult to know without speaking to those people. People struggle with various things when they want to come out.

“They are generally people who get into marriages and that would make it difficult to come out later on in life.”

Respondents to the survey said homophobia still existed at a subtle underlying level within the force.

One senior officer admitted they would love to be openly gay but did not feel they could be.

The PSAEW’s lead on LGBT policing, Chief Supt Mike Gallagher, of the Metropolitan Police, said the findings were frustrating and unacceptable.

He added: “It is very disappointing that we are still talking about this as an issue in 2014.”

PCSO Hare is keen to make himself as available as possible for any colleagues, or their families, who might be struggling with relevant issues.

“I just try to make myself as obvious as I can, so people can come forward if they wish,” he said.

“Coming out is a horrible experience anyway. You don’t know how your family are going to react, how your colleagues are going to react.

“If you have left it to later life, when you’ve built up your career, that’s why you might find it harder.”

If any officers or families of officers with Wiltshire Police have experienced issues of this nature, they can contact PCSO Hare via 101.