- Forces rapped after victim complains about police's social media priorities
- Others followed include Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson and the Hairy Bikers
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Police forces are using Twitter accounts intended to help fight crime to follow gossip about hundreds of celebrities.
The official accounts were found to follow the tweets of pop stars, sportsmen, fashion designers and TV shows.
And although Twitter is free to use, many forces employ dedicated social media staff – funded by taxpayers – who are paid to monitor and maintain the accounts.
Appropriate to follow? Official police Twitter feeds have come under the microscope after a complaint by a victim of crime in south London against Lambeth Police following pop star Rihanna
Guilty: Leicester Police swiftly unfollowed Coleen Rooney when they caught wind of the row in London
Popular: Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, left, is followed by Bedfordshire Police, while Hammersmith and Fulham officers are fans of Stephen Fry, right
Among the celebrities followed by police forces were Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Simon Cowell, Lady Gaga and Downton Abbey.
Scotland Yard ordered a clean-up of its official Twitter pages after receiving a formal complaint from a victim of crime.
Since then police in Lambeth, south London, have deleted more than 500 links which were not work-related.
Before the clear-out, the force's account would have been swamped by hundreds of posts each day from celebrities they were following.
Caught red-handed: While most forces have cleaned up their accounts, some are still following celebrities, with Hammersmith and Fulham Police a fan of Stephen Fry
Damning evidence: Dyfed Powys Police seems to like the Hairy Bikers
Drunk in charge of a Twitter account? Northants Police take a keen cyber interest in the goings on at Carlsberg
Last night the crime victim who complained said she felt 'sickened' when she discovered the police were 'wasting hours entertaining themselves about the exploits of celebrities'.
FORCES SPEND 2MILLION OF TAXPAYERS' CASH LISTENING TO RADIO AT WORK
More than 2million of taxpayers' money has been spent to allow police workers to the listen to the radio at work, it has emerged.
While forces in England and Wales have been hit sweeping budget cuts, the incredible sum has been spent over the past three years for workplace music licenses.
Fees being spent include 60 for every patrol car and 54 for offices where music may just be played in the background.
Larger areas such as canteens and staff sports clubs can be charged thousands of pounds, reports The Sun.
The biggest spender is the Metropolitan Police, which shells out 250,000 a year. West Midlands Police came next, spending 62,000, while Thames Valley was third on 44,000.
Several forces pay 25,000 a year but many pay nothing because their leaders refuse to pay money to the Performing Rights Society, which collects royalties for composers, songwriters and publishers.
The total annual 670,000 cost - revealed in Freedom of Information Act responses - comes as thousand of frontline jobs have been axed to meet budget cuts of millions of pounds.
Conservative MP Priti Patel said: 'Taxpayers' money should be used to investigate crime and bring offenders to justice rather than pay for police officers to listen to pop music. Police and Crime Commissioners must scrap this perk and invest in putting bobbies on the beat.'
South Yorkshire Police insisted the 70,000 it spent in three yeasrs was worth the cash because music is good for 'staff wellbeing'.
The 39-year-old woman, who was mugged in south London last month, said: 'I feel horrified that police staff are whiling away their time ogling Rihanna or getting the latest on Simon Cowell, when the local streets aren't safe.'
Social media has been embraced by the police as a way to improve its image, particularly among young people.
Forces are encouraged to use Twitter to 'engage' with communities, post updates about crimes and to appeal for information and witnesses.
Guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers states that 'the use of social media for private purposes during working time and from force systems should be in accordance with local force policies' and is 'not recommended'.
Police in Solihull follow Cricket Australia, which offers 'all the latest breaking Aussie cricket news' as well as Danny Baker, the BBC broadcaster.
Leicestershire Police follows Coleen Rooney, wife of England footballer Wayne and comedian Miranda Hart.
Gordon Scobbie, a former officer who advises on digital strategy, said: 'I can understand following some politicians, celebrities with a cause, or perhaps local celebrities, but not Rihanna and Justin Bieber.'
Staffordshire Police claimed they follow famous figures to 'deal with alleged offences against them' or encourage them to post police appeals.
Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers would rather pay for bobbies on the beat than police staff who tweet.'
- Police forces spend 670,000 a year to ensure staff can listen to the radio at work.
- Forces in England and Wales pay around 60 for workplace music licences in patrol cars and 54 for each small office.
Cooking up a storm: Dyfed Powys Police follow TV chefs, the Hairy Bikers
Following tweets doesn't bother me ... any cop having the dismally bad taste to show any interest in the likes of Rihanna or Rooney's ball-and-chain scares the hell out of me.
- Logician , Shipley, United Kingdom, 26/8/2013 01:10
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