POLICE officers have been adding bright pink to their uniforms as part of a charity fund raising effort which has so far reached £12,000.

Officers and staff have been swapping their traditional epaulettes and lanyards to show their support for Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

The charities were chosen by Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, who said: “Throughout my time with the force I have always been impressed and humbled by the scale of charitable works undertaken by colleagues both on and off duty.

“There can be few people across our force and in our communities whose lives have not been touched by cancer or heart disease. We hope we can do these three charities proud with this unique fundraising event.

“I cannot think of a better way to show our support than by wearing it. I hope the pink additions catch the eye of the public and raise awareness of these extremely worthy charities. I also hope that we can raise a substantial sum of money in support of their work.”

So far more than 1,300 employees across Devon and Cornwall have joined the force-wide charity drive.

Stacey Smalley, BHF Fundraising Manager, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Devon and Cornwall Police for supporting us with this unique fundraiser which will help us to continue to invest in the research to save and improve so many lives.”

Bridget Hill, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “I am delighted to be involved with Devon and Cornwall Police in this very special fundraising event and hugely grateful to the Chief Constable and everyone involved.

Annabel Coakley, Cancer Research UK’s Local Fundraising Manager for South Devon, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Devon and Cornwall Police has chosen to hold these unique fundraising activities to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

“Cancer Research UK has made enormous progress in the fight against cancer and continues to do so. However, we have only been able to do this thanks to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and supporters without whom we would not be able to fund our vital research.”

You can follow the fundraising effort on Twitter under the hashtag #ChiefsCharity or via the force account @DC_Police.