Gwent Police in Wales has been forced to scrap its policy allowing trans officers to use women's toilets and changing rooms after being threatened with legal action by a women's rights organization, the Women's Rights Network. The force had previously insisted that trans staff could use facilities based on their gender identity, but the EHRC's updated code of practice requires transgender people to be offered a gender-neutral space instead. Gwent Police is now expected to rewrite its policy after the threat of legal action. A director with the Women's Rights Network has criticized the force for only backing down due to the threat of law enforcement rather than out of respect for the law itself.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Gwent Police, a police force in Wales, has reversed its policy after being threatened with legal action by The Women's Rights Network. The force had previously stated that women would have to share toilets and changing rooms with transgender officers who identify as male. This move came despite new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which states that single-sex spaces should be used based on biological sex. According to this guidance, trans people should instead use gender-neutral spaces. The policy reversal follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year, which defined a woman under the Equality Act as someone with biological female sex.
Written for “UK Trans Toilets Ruling” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
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Trans members of staff are entitled to use the facilities of the gender in which they present.
left Gwent Police's original policy statement
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It is not acceptable to insist that a member of staff transitioning at work should use separate facilities, for example the nominated accessible toilet, unless they so wish.
left Gwent Police's original policy statement
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However, it is deeply concerning that it took the threat of legal action by a grassroots women's rights group to ensure that they respected the legal right of their brave female officers to safe and private single-sex showers, changing rooms and toilets, free from the presence of men.
right Criticism of Gwent Police's original policy
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It is totally unacceptable that they are dragging their feet on what their new policy will be, insisting that they will only decide on this after consulting with staff networks. 'There doesn't need to be a consultation - they just need to comply with the law.
right Criticism of Gwent Police's handling of the situation
Leaning score +0.85 for article 6584 (high confidence, 4 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-07
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A police force threatened with legal action after telling women to share toilets and changing rooms with trans officers has been forced to scrap its policy.
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force → see → policy
Gwent Police was accused of breaching new equality guidance after declaring 'trans members of staff are entitled to use the facilities of the gender in which they present.'
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they → accuse → which
The Mail revealed in May that the force had been threatened with legal action by a women's rights organisation after new guidance from the equalities watchdog was laid in parliament saying single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and toilets must be used on the basis of biological sex.
uncertain
spaces → reveal → sex
The Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) updated code of practice approved by ministers, makes it clear that transgender people should be offered a gender-neutral space instead of female toilets.
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people → update → toilets
It follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year that the definition of a woman under the Equality Act should be based on biological sex.
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definition → follow → sex
The Women's Rights Network requested gender policies under Freedom of Information which revealed many forces were changing their policies, but Gwent Police insisted: 'Trans members of staff are entitled to use the facilities of the gender in which they present.
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they → request → which
This will be the case from the first day that they present in that gender.
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they → present → gender
It is not acceptable to insist that a member of staff transitioning at work should use separate facilities, for example the nominated accessible toilet, unless they so wish.'
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they → insist → example
Two female police officers pictured on patrol in the United Kingdom
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officers → picture → Kingdom
Now the force has backed down, scrapping its Transitioning in the Workplace policy which said toilets, changing rooms and showers for both officers and members of the public are not segregated on the basis of biological sex.
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toilets → back → sex
Cathy Larkman, Director and National Policing lead with the Women's Rights Network, and a retired Police Superintendent said: 'We are very glad that Gwent police have now withdrawn their unlawful policy.
'
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police → say → policy
However, it is deeply concerning that it took the threat of legal action by a grassroots women's rights group to ensure that they respected the legal right of their brave female officers to safe and private single-sex showers, changing rooms and toilets, free from the presence of men.
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they → take → men
It is totally unacceptable that they are dragging their feet on what their new policy will be, insisting that they will only decide on this after consulting with staff networks.
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they → drag → networks
There doesn't need to be a consultation - they just need to comply with the law.
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they → need → law
This is not hard to understand.
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This → understand → ?
It beggars belief that a police force has to be prompted not to break the law.
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force → beggar → law
'How can women trust a police force like Gwent when they claim to take their safety, and violence against women and girls seriously, when they don't respect the legal rights of their own female officers and staff?
uncertain
they → trust → officers
A Gwent Police spokesperson said the policy had been revoked a number of months ago: 'We are committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone feels safe, respected and able to be themselves.
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everyone → say → workplace
We understand the impact that this has on our workforce and communities and as such we are being proactive in ensuring our estates and working environments are inclusive and safe for all to use.
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all → understand → workforce
'Our Trans Inclusion Policy has been reviewed in light of recent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance on public spaces, and we await further guidance on workplaces.
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we → review → workplaces
'A revised policy is currently out for consultation with our staff networks and will be published following this process.'
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policy → publish → process
