The monitoring of sexuality is backed by the Gay Police Association

Recruits will be asked to tick a box in the anonymous equal opportunities section of their application form.

They will be asked if they are heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian or if they would prefer not to say.

The Home Office told BBC News Online there was no obligation to tick any box and that all information would remain confidential.

Support

The Gay Police Association said it supported the move as the police force needed to get an accurate picture of the number of gay officers serving in it.

Strategic director Sian Lockley said the difficulty of quantifying levels in the past had led to the marginalisation of some people.

She said the Association of Chief Police Officers often asked the GPA how many gay police served in the force.

If we already do gender and race monitoring how do you defend not doing sexual orientation monitoring? Sian Lockley, Gay Police Association

"We don't know because we don't ask the question," she said.

"If we already do gender and race monitoring, how do you defend not doing sexual orientation monitoring? There is no difference.

"It's not about asking people who they have slept with and it's not about quotas - we do not want a certain percentage of the workforce to be gay."

Andy Forrest, of gay lobby group Stonewall, supported monitoring sexual orientation "as long as the reasons are explained to staff and that anonymity is assured".

He said the move would be an important first step in promoting the interests of gay police officers.