HIGH dropout rates among ethnic minority and female police recruits reflect the endurance of an unwelcoming and macho “canteen culture”.

More than 20 years of effort to rid the police service in England and Wales of its traditional white, male ethos has failed.

Senior officers have concentrated on race since the Stephen Lawrence inquiry but many ethnic minority police believe that change has been cosmetic.

There is also a danger that in the effort to increase the number of ethnic minority and women recruits, police forces have employed unsuitable people.

Many ethnic minority recruits also underestimate the hostility that they will face from their own communities.

Keith Jarrett, the president of the National Black Police Association, said: “It takes a very determined black person to join the police force because a lot of black youths see black police officers as traitors.

“Black recruits are likely to lose their friends, which adds pressure. There is bigotry on both sides.”

Some white, male officers say that there is a bias against them for promotion and allege that standards have been lowered to attract minorities. Although there is no official evidence, research suggests that the police’s “canteen culture” may be a reason why many officers who are neither white nor male quit.

Sexism and homophobia were found to be rampant, resulting in hundreds of men and women feeling discriminated against, according to a Home Office study.

The use of racist language has almost disappeared because officers were aware of sanctions. But some black staff said that this did not represent a genuine change in culture.

A white inspector said: “We used to have a laugh and a joke. Now we can’t in case someone takes offence.”

The report said that there were sexist and homophobic comments in every area of police work. “Sexist language and behaviour was all but endemic,” it said.Many women reported being called “dolly” and “dizzy blonde” and said that they felt undermined and undervalued by male colleagues, which leads to resignations.

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