Warwickshire police chiefs have advised officers against saying the popular catchphrase, which was made famous by the late Jack Warner in 'Dixon of Dock Green', over worries of cultural confusion.

"Evening" has been deemed by bosses as a "subjective term", which does not necessarily mean the same across cultures and nationalities.

The barmy rules came to light after a request was made under the Freedom of information Act about guidance on the use of language in the forces. PC plods have also been told to use the term "gay" rather than "homosexual" while "heterosexual" should be used instead of "straight" so as not to cause offence. Words such as "child" or "youngster" have also been discouraged by various forces as they imply inexperience and may offend.