In stark contrast to today’s equal opportunities ethos, a 1930s recruitment drive by London’s Metropolitan Police Service sought “hefty girls” who “mustn’t marry”.

A preserved newspaper snippet shows a time when the Met desired physically robust and “fairly good looking” women who could “withstand rough and tumble”. The force offered “good pay” and free accommodation in “special hostels” for the ladies’ troubles.

The advertisement, recently shared on Reddit, stated: “Women with good brains plus good physique are wanted. The pay and prospects are good but they must never marry or their careers will end!” It further specified that Chief Commissioner, Sir Phillip Game, and Chief of Women’s Branch, Miss Peto were particularly interested in recruiting “spinsters and widows, girls in universities and public schools, and girls with training in nursing and social work”. However, “married women need not apply”.

It reiterated in capital letters that “THEY MUST BE HEFTY”, and revealed wages to be 53s, 3d a week. A final requirement stipulated that applicants must be “at least five feet four inches high”.

One Reddit user expressed their astonishment, writing: “Other than the rampant sexism in the article I’m going to assume the marriage ban is specifically to avoid having pregnant women risking themselves.”

Another offered the explanation: “Avoiding needing time off if pregnant more likely. Also social norms of the time were that married women should not work, it would be seen as emasculating toward their husband. Teachers, nurses, typists etc would all be expected to quit if they got married.”

Someone else pointed out in agreement: “Remember also that marriage would almost always mean pregnancy and children within a few years. This is before reliable contraception was widely available. The idea of getting married but not having children straight away is a recent thing.”

Meanwhile, a third individual harshly criticised the advert, stating: “The way women were talked down too. As if they were just idiots with boobs. As someone who’s 28 this almost doesn’t seem real, mad the world was like that. Crazy.”

Others, however, found humour in what was deemed normal in yesteryear. One woman quipped: “Looks like I’m joining the force.”

Another joked: “Wild that the police force invented a time machine all that time ago and only ever used it to travel to 2024 to steal my Tinder profile.”

While a third humorously inquired: “Hefty, good looking, rough and tumble: me? They were looking for me.”