PC strips off uniform to become Mr Gay UK

PC Mark Carter, 23, who had the full backing of West Yorkshire Police, said he was "over the moon" after picking up the award, billed as the male equivalent of Miss Great Britain.

He is expected to have a year of personal appearances and photo shoots ahead of him after beating off 25 other contestants in the final at Blackpool's Flamingo Club to win £5,000 worth of prizes.

He said: "Two years ago I used to cry myself to sleep at night, I was so daunted by the prospect of coming out, but when i did, it was the best thing ever.

"I was so happy I could finally be myself. I thought telling people I was gay would mean no one would want to know me, but at the Mr Gay UK final, I had more people together, supporting me, in one place than I've ever had in my life."

The policeman, who lives in Bradford but works on patrol in Huddersfield, had earlier told how his main reason for entering the competition was to "change the public perception of the stereotypical gay man."

"I am happy that people will be able to see that there are police officers who are gay and we are not necessarily the usual people that they see on TV programmes like Big Brother," he said.

"It will be good for other young gay men to see someone like me who has been successful in a professional job like policing."

PC Carter joined the West Yorkshire force nearly two years ago after completing a degree in sports science.

He said his colleagues had given him tremendous support over his sexuality.

"I didn't tell them straight away but one day somebody asked me and I told them," he said.

"I was nervous about how my colleagues would react but they have been absolutely brilliant."

PC Carter, who has never modelled before, qualified for the final after entering the Birmingham heat of the competition on the spur of the moment during a night out in the city with a friend.

To his own surprise he won, and the next day had to tell his commanding officer that he was Mr Gay Birmingham.

He said: "The police are a disciplined organisation and I wasn't sure how my bosses would feel about me competing to be Mr Gay UK."

Luckily they were supportive, and 50 officers went to cheer him on in Friday's grand final, where each contestant was interviewed on stage about their likes, dislikes, hobbies and job in front of a panel of judges that included Su Pollard and Anita Dobson.

PC Carter's charm and good looks stood out, and he was picked ahead of a town planner from Brighton and a sailor from Plymouth to be named the country's sexiest gay man.

Organiser Terry George said: "Mark is a great example of a young gay man achieving his goals in life.

"If anyone assumed it was just bimbos who entered competitions like this, then Mark is proving them wrong."