Dozens of toilet rolls, packets of dried Indian snacks and boxes of model cars were among the unusual gifts accepted by Kent Police officers last year.

All gifts and gratuities offered to members of staff must be declared, with the force then publishing the full list of those that were both accepted and declined in a public register.

A 36-pack of toilet rolls was offered to a detective constable just before Christmas by a toilet cleaner who was visited by the officer multiple times as part of an investigation into sexual assault against four very young female children.

The man insisted he had free access to whichever quantity of toilet rolls he wished, and the constable felt not accepting the gift would have been "extremely insulting" to him, according to the register.

Two sets of model vehicles, worth £20, were offered to the chief constable, while other gifts included dozens of boxes of sweets, chocolate and biscuits, tickets to a race car festival, a tie clip and books, including one titled 'Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days'.

One of the more heart-warming tales listed on the register was that of a nine-year-old boy who approached an officer in town and asked if he could shake his hand, such was his love for the police.

The boy was then asked if he wanted to have a look around the police station and car and the family later thanked the officer with a bunch of flowers.

In another instance, a member of the public gave a box of chocolates worth £3 to a member of staff as an apology for calling her a "cow".

Some gifts had to be turned down, according to the register, including free tickets to a Manchester United football match at Old Trafford, an all-expenses-paid trip to India, and a number of homemade cakes.

Several donations, including a handkerchief with poppies on it, were also made to the memorial fund of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the Westminster terror attack earlier in the year.