Officers Susan Blackburn and Victoria Manley took West Midlands Police to an employment tribunal after being refused Special Priority Payments because their family commitments prevented them from working night shifts.
These annual allowances were introduced in 2003 for officers who perform demanding roles.
Juliette Franklin, the solicitor who represented the two officers, said, 'The tribunal agreed that it cannot be right to deny women officers allowances just because they agree different shift arrangements for childcare reasons, when they work as hard as male officers and face the same dangers on a daily basis. This a hugely sig-nificant case which could have a beneficial impact on pay and conditions for thousands.'
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said, 'The employment tribunal has found that there has been a breach of the Equal Pay Act. West Midlands Police is considering the judgment and whether there are any grounds for appeal
