LONDON, Aug 11: London police officers who are non-Christians are to be allowed to wear a different badge from the traditional one, which contains the cross, the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday.

The traditional badge features a crown topped by a Christian cross, and officers professing other faiths have begun to object. The multicultural British capital has long struggled to attract people from ethnic minorities for its police force.

The service cherished its long association with the crown, a spokesman said.

“However, if employees specifically state that they cannot wear that insignia for what appears to be supportable reasons, then they will be issued with other insignia not incorporating the crown,” he said.

The Sunday Times reported a Moslem traffic warden employed by the force had quit claiming that he was unable to wear the symbol of any other faith.

A separate plan to introduce name badges on police uniforms has drawn criticism from the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents the interests of London’s 25,000 officers.

Federation chairman Glen Smyth said he feared the badges would make it easier for criminals to launch revenge attacks, and that some names could open officers to ridicule.

“This could endanger officers’ personal safety, and that’s before you get into the territory of those who have unusual names,” he said.—dpa