Pagan police officers are to be given up to eight holidays to observe festivals such as Halloween and the summer solstice.

According to the Office of National Statistics, 31,000 people in the UK were recorded to be practicing witchcraft or paganism in 2001 and the police holiday announcement comes after discussions between the Pagan Police Association and the Home Office.

A spokeswoman from Hertfordshire Constabulary told HR magazine pagan staff were permitted to swap traditional bank holiday leave for pagan holidays, but she added: "We would allow any other faith group to have the same option."

Police Constable Andy Hardy of Hertfordshire Constabulary was one of the officers behind the creation of the Pagan Police Authority. Speaking to Police Review, he said: "Paganism is not the new age, tree-hugging fad that some people think it is.

"It is not the evil thing that people think it is. A lot of people think it is about dancing naked around a fire.

"But the rituals involve chanting, music and meditation. For Pagans, the practices are seen to have the same power as prayer does for Christians."

Staff are able to take the pagan holidays as part of their annual leave.

The news follows the announcement in April that Strathclyde Polcie Force had employed 10 members of the Jedi religion.