West Midlands Police has made a u-turn by reinstating the Twitter account of an award-winning officer banned for highlighting resource problems.

Inspector Michael Brown posts regularly as @MentalHealthCop about policing and mental health issues and has more than 17,000 followers.

But his Twitter feed was suspended on Friday after he highlighted resource problems on a late shift.

There was a huge public backlash and now the popular officer’s account has been reinstated.

Police chiefs insist it is only being reactivated because the inspector accepted “informal advice” following an internal investigation.

But former Special Branch officer Chris Hobbs said the inspector, who once received an award from Stephen Fry for highlighting mental health issues, had been humiliated by the force.

He also claimed the ban was a deliberate attempt to discourage junior officers who might be willing to “break ranks and tell it how it is”.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Forsyth said: “I and my colleagues are proud of our social media endeavours, working closely with officers and staff to engage and communicate in new and innovative ways.

“As with any organisation which communicates with the public, we have to ensure that there are parameters around the way information is shared, particular when that information can be sensitive.

“It would not be fair or proportionate to release any further detail of this investigation.”