West Midlands Police has condemned a tweet, shared by controversial personality, Katie Hopkins, which claimed Birmingham Central Mosque was a "no-go area" for their officers.

The columnist took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to share what she claimed were 'comments from a serving officer in the force'.

Talking of the mosque, the unnamed officer alleged staff were "told by management and senior officers that we are not to go there and certainly not, under any circumstances, to go in". The statement added: "This is not for our safety, but because of an agreement with the Mosque and West Midlands Police HQ."

Sharing the comments with her 775,000 Twitter followers, former Apprentice star Hopkins demanded a response from West Midlands Police, with others on social media following suit.

Chief Supt Chris Johnson, speaking on behalf of the force, which is the second largest in England, retorted:

"There's simply no truth in the rumour that we discourage or stop our officers and staff from attending Birmingham Central Mosque. Our neighbourhood policing team regularly attend the mosque and hold events and meetings and have always been made to feel welcome.

"I would be disappointed if this false claim damaged our excellent relationship with the mosque and communities.

"There are no places across this city where our officers won't go and reports like this can cause damage to the hard earned trust that has been nurtured".

You can read the full statement below;

Hopkins also tweeted to ask serving police officers whether they had experienced restrictions in policing mosques, with the opportunity to speak to her in confidence. 

The 42-year-old is known for being an outspoken commentator on topics from terrorism and Islam, to children's names and obesity.