Police officers are being sent on a bizarre training course that uses video clips of singers Christina Aguilera and Susan Boyle to explain issues surrounding equality and diversity to staff.

Those attending also have to listen to a specially made-up fairy story about witches so they can better understand how to combat prejudice and discrimination.

And in a session about minority groups and harassment, the staff see images of bullying, gay kissing and a transsexual.

The equality sessions have been devised by Tayside Police in the East of Scotland, a region which is mainly rural but includes the small cities of Dundee and Perth.

The day-long course includes a session on ‘communication, stereotyping, prejudice and assumptions’ which involves staff watching a two-minute clip of Susan Boyle making her debut on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.

Participants are reminded that judges on the ITV show initially wrote off Boyle’s chances because of her appearance.

They are then advised not to make lasting judgments about people based on their first impressions.

The same session also requires staff to listen to a four-minute fairy story called The Witches Of Glum, which is about the rivalry between the elderly King of Glum and a disfigured witch called Groga.

Course material says: ‘This exercise feeds on the stereotypical images many of us are familiar with from fairytales, where the wicked witch is ugly and the hero was a young prince or knight.’

A session called minority groups, harassment and bullying kicks off with a viewing of the video that accompanied Aguilera’s 2002 UK ¬

No1 hit Beautiful. It features people being bullied, a gay couple kissing and an ageing transsexual.

Last night, Conservative MP Philip Davies said: ‘The courses sound drivel – a combination of the blindingly obvious with the utterly ridiculous. 

We have a situation where forces claim they have no money for proper policing but at the same time they spend thousands

on equality and diversity projects.’

Tayside Police said the course was mainly for civilian staff and only a handful of officers had attended.

A spokesman added: ‘These initiatives are not about being politically correct but about being professional.’

Source: Daily Mail UK