Pc who changed sex 'asked fellow officers for kiss' (Telegraph)

Tuesday
23 February 1999
Issue 1369

A POLICE officer who became a woman after a sex change embarrassed male officers by asking them for kisses, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

Claire Ashton - formerly Tony Ashton - sent one officer a note inquiring “Where’s my snog?”, causing the blushing constable to leave the room, the tribunal was told. On another occasion the transsexual told an officer over the phone: “I’m still waiting for my kiss.”

Ms Ashton, 47, of Uffington, Shropshire, is claiming sex discrimination and discrimination under the Disability Act against West Mercia Police. She claims she was bullied by colleagues and singled out for criticism because of the sex change she was undergoing.

The hearing in Shrewsbury was told how she was banned from using the women’s toilet and treated “oppressively” during interviews with superiors.

Declan O’Dempsey, for the applicant, said: “Up until March 1997 Ms Ashton was employed with the West Mercia Constabulary and was a firearms expert. In 1996 Ms Ashton was diagnosed as having gender identification dysphoria, an illness causing depression.

“The applicant started life biologically as a male but psychologically the applicant has always been female,” he said. “The term transsexual is applied to those who whilst belonging physically to one sex are convinced they belong to another.” .

Mr O’Dempsey said Ms Ashton embarked on “gender realignment treatment” and agreed that she would switch from her police post to a civilian post at Shrewsbury police station working as a communications officer.

The hearing was told that while working at her new role Ms Ashton found it difficult to concentrate and was often found in tears because of the hormonal treatment she was receiving.

Instead of raising her voice to catch a colleague’s attention she would wave at them because she was sensitive about her changing voice, the tribunal was told.

Mr O’Dempsey said that in 1997 Ms Ashton was summoned to an interview and accused of sexually harassing two police officers. The hearing continues.

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