by Sabrina Miller, TelegraphWest Midlands force says practice helps officers understand significance of religious festival for residentsNon-Muslim officers and staff working at West Midlands Police have been invited to fast during Ramadan in an “act of solidarity”, The Telegraph can reveal. The West Midlands Association of Muslim Police has said colleagues can take part in a fast for the day during the religious festival to raise money for charity. West Midlands Police said the practice helped officers understand the “significance of Ramadan” for Muslim residents. Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said encouraging non-Muslim staff to observe Ramadan was “wholly inappropriate” and urged officials to scrap the Public Sector Equality Duty, which obliges public services to think about equality and diversity in everything they do. The Telegraph can also reveal that non-Muslim colleagues are fasting during Ramadan across other public services, such as councils.