Civilian staff, including HR and IT directors, have been given bluelight cars to use by seven police forces without being trained to use them, the BBC is reporting.

BBC News sent freedom of information requests to all 45 UK forces, asking them if they had provided civilian staff with cars fitted with emergency response equipment, and received responses from all.

Seven forces said they had. These were Devon and Cornwall, Merseyside, Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset, and Greater Manchester Police.

The BBC invesigation found the main recipients were finance directors, although human resources and IT directors have also benefited.

In addition, West Mercia and Warwickshire Police said they used to jointly pay for a car for a 'director of enabling services', but no longer did so.

None of the vehicles had been used in an emergency, and the drivers of the vehicles were not qualified to use them in such circumstances.