UK Justice Secretary says burkha ban will be a waste of police time

LONDON - British Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said that banning women from wearing burkhas in British streets would be a waste of police time.

While Straw has his own concerns about the veil, he told MPs that he would “strongly recommend against a change in the law”.

UK Independence Party MEP Gerard Batten condemned Straw’s remarks, the Daily Express reports.

He insisted the same rules should apply to burkhas as crash helmets and balaclavas, which must be removed in buildings such as banks and airports.

Earlier, Tory MP Philip Hollobone said he had “huge sympathy” with people who backed a ban on the controversial burkhas.

In 2006, Straw suggested that women who wore veils made community relations difficult. (ANI)