Police have forced a male choir to change its name because the group does not include women.
Members of Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir say they have been left "heartbroken" after claiming Chief Constable Peter Goodman told the group that he wanted it to become mixed voice.
However, the choir said this would not be possible because it would take years to achieve. The group is made up of a number of former officers and has raised £750,000 for charities over the years.
As a result, Mr Goodman said the 62-year-old choir could not keep Derbyshire Constabulary in its name and so the group will become known as Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir.
The news comes just a day after it emerged the force had the highest gender pay gap for forces in England and Wales.
Choir chairman Kevin Griffiths said: "I was invited to a meeting with the Chief Constable, Peter Goodman, in September, and I was really looking forward to it. I thought it would be positive and him applauding our work over the years.
"I was very taken aback by what happened. He said he could no longer support a male voice choir and he said he wanted us to become a mixed voice choir. I was shell shocked.
"We have had no financial support from Derbyshire Constabulary for many years. We survive by raising our own money.
"After considering the logistics and difficulties in undertaking such a transformation we felt unable to accept his invitation, which came from the force's drive to promote gender equality in all aspects of its operations.
"It would mean us recruiting up to 50 new female members to make the balance of the choir work. The costs would be great and the logistics unmanagable.
"We'd lose all sense of identity of what we are."
Mr Griffiths said he told Mr Goodman and the force that the change would be "unfeasible", according to the Derby Telegraph.
He then said he received a letter from Mr Goodman on March 8, which said the authorisation for the choir to use Derbyshire Constabulary in its name had been "revoked".
He said the choir has also been asked to take steps to disassociate itself from the Derbyshire Constabulary.
Mr Griffiths said: "Members were heartbroken and devastated. Some members feel we have been the victims of political correctness.
"If we were forming a new choir then I would understand their position, but we have been going for decades and decades.
"In that time we have raised £750,000 for different local charities. We have brought police officers and the community together. A number of our members are former police officers.
"We wear police uniform during our performances and we do that with great pride that we are representing the force.
"We are the casualty of an agenda. But we do not think it needed to come to this. I would have thought Derbyshire Constabulary would have bigger fish to fry with the gender pay gap than a male voice choir.
"We have done a lot of good and positive work for them over the years, including building strong links with officers and the communities they serve. That has been done through our work."
He said the choir would continue under the new name and was appealing for new members to come forward.
Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: "We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to having an organisation where there are no enclaves where people from different backgrounds cannot go.
"We need to represent our communities in every aspect of our public presence. Having a male voice choir representing the organisation is incompatible with this, especially as there are no members of the choir who are employed by or who volunteer with us. I wish them all the very best for the future."
