Can people really not figure this out by themselves?

National police guidance allowing transgender officers to strip search people of the opposite biological sex has been temporarily withdrawn after the Government raised concerns about women’s safety.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council told The Telegraph that it was conducting a “thorough” review of its guidance on searches conducted by transgender officers. “In the meantime, forces have been advised to revert to their own policies on strip searches,” the body said.

The review came after Chris Philp, the policing minister, said transgender officers should be stopped from conducting strip searches on suspects of the opposite sex unless they have changed their legal gender.

Hah? What does changing their legal gender have to do with anything? It’s not going to stop men abusing the women they strip search, is it. “Changing legal gender” isn’t magic. If there were such a thing as changing one’s legal species, it wouldn’t be magic, and it wouldn’t change a human into a manatee.

This weekend, three prominent campaign groups wrote to Mr Philp praising the Government’s decision to ask the National Police Chiefs Council to “look again” at guidance but insisting that obtaining a gender recognition certificate (GRC) should not qualify a trans woman police officer to strip search a female detainee.

My point exactly.

How do the police of all people manage to be so clueless about this? Unless of course the answer is just they’re not clueless, they’re just mostly men, and they don’t give a shit.

The letter, signed by leaders of the Sex Matters, the Women’s Rights Network, and Fair Play for Women groups, stated: “We were pleased to hear you confirm to the Home Affairs Select Committee this week that the government does not support the policy of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which allows male officers who identify as women to undertake searches, including strip and intimate searches, of detainees of the opposite sex.”

But they added: “We do not agree with your statement to the Home Affairs Select Committee that if a police officer has a gender-recognition certificate (GRC) they must be allowed to search detainees of the opposite sex. As you recognise, it is likely to be humiliating and frightening for a woman to be searched by a male officer. It is no different if that officer has a certificate.”

How could it be? It’s so churchy – but look, it’s written down, it’s on paper – obviously it’s true!

Addressing the Commons home affairs committee on Wednesday, Mr Philp told MPs: “The Pace [Police and Criminal Evidence Act] codes that govern stop and search and strip search in particular are very clear that those should be conducted by someone of the same sex. I am also very clear that, for reasons particularly of women’s safety, that means someone of the same born biological sex or in possession of a formal court authorised gender recognition certificate.

Which is magic! Because it’s formal! And court! And authorised! And a certficate! That’s four things, and four is enough to change reality!