The Chief Constable has publicly backed the government’s decision to apologise for anti-gay laws.

Gary Roberts took to Twitter after the Chief Minister’s announcement in Tynwald last week.

He said: ’It is entirely right and to be welcomed that the Chief Minister has done this.

'It is also important to note that the Isle of Man Constabulary’s inclusion and diversity work, which is overseen by an independent scrutiny group, has become something of which I am proud.’

The police force’s Tweetbeat posted a tweet featuring the gay rainbow flag and saying: ’The past has been spoken about a lot this week. This is where we are now. #Pride in our community.'

Mr Roberts replied: ’When we first started routinely flying the rainbow flags we got some terrific feedback from the LGBTQ+ community.

’However, the sourest letter I got was from a long retired cop, who accused me of virtue signalling & playing out my own liberal agenda.

’I’m proud that we do it.’

Consenting sex between men was decriminalised in the Isle of Man in 1994. In England it was 1967.

In the run-up to the change in the law, the police force was criticised for a heavy-handed approach when carrying out surveillance on public toilets.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle last week acknowledged that the former ’misguided’ and ’unjust’ laws probably led to some people taking their own lives.

’As Chief Minister I stand before you and before the people of our island to apologise for those laws - for the damage they may have caused and the lives they ruined,’ he said.

’I am sorry for that wrong.’

He added: ’We will never know the hurt our past laws may have inflicted on our own people.

’How many suffered, how many perhaps took their own lives and how many left their island never to return.’