Over 300 Met staff disclose they are Freemasons or in other hierarchical groups

High court judge is considering legal challenge to policy obliging officers to declare affiliation to organisation

More than 300 Metropolitan police officers and staff have obeyed an order to tell their bosses if they are members of hierarchical organisations such as the Freemasons, the high court has heard.

Britain’s largest force announced the policy last month and it has met fierce opposition from bodies representing Masons. They have taken legal action to seek an injunction, claiming it amounts to religious discrimination and breaches human rights laws.