MANCHESTER Mayor Andy Burnham has apologised to LGBTQ+ people for the “unacceptable discrimination and the pain and suffering” caused by the city’s police force.

Mr Burnham recognised the failings in a letter to campaigner Peter Tatchell, who has led the call for forces around the country to recognise “the past homophobic” police persecution.

Campaigners welcomed the letter, which they said stood in contrast to statements made by the chief constable of GMP, Stephen Watson, who recently refused to recognise any wrongdoing on behalf of his force.

Apologising for past failings would be seen as “superficial and merely performative,” Mr Watson said.

The mayor’s letter was particularly important because “historically, GMP was one of the most homophobic police forces in the UK,” Mr Tatchell said.

“In the 1980s, the then chief constable, Sir James Anderton, infamously said that gay men dying of Aids were ‘swirling around in a human cesspit of their own making’.

“Motivated by homophobic religious beliefs, he ordered the police to ‘go after’ LGBTs.”

Mr Tatchell said officers were told to unlawfully harass people in gay venues, including a notorious incident in 1984 when 23 plainclothes officers raided Napoleon’s bar.

Police had defended their actions, saying that bar the manager was violating a bylaw by allowing “licentious dancing.”

Mr Tatchell said officers took photographs of the patrons, as well as their names and addresses. 

The campaigner said that several patrons were even publicly outed, leading them to be subjected to homophobic abuse and some to lose their jobs.

GMP is the latest of more than 20 forces to admit to past discrimination. The Met, Merseyside, Northumbria and Police Scotland have all apologised.

In his letter, Mr Burnham wrote: “There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the LGBTQ+ community historically were treated shamefully by this country and clearly subject to discrimination in many ways.

“As mayor of Greater Manchester, I acknowledge the unacceptable discrimination and the pain and suffering it caused. I apologise to all LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester and across the UK for the past failing of GMP in this regard.”

Mr Tatchell lauded Burnham’s “clear and unequivocal apology” for past mistreatment, but added: “A mayoral apology, welcome though it is, cannot substitute for an apology from the police force that carried out these abuses.”