The RAF has paused making job offers to white male recruits in favour of women and ethnic minorities to meet “impossible” diversity targets according to whistleblowers.

The move has prompted the head of recruitment for the Royal Air Force (RAF) – herself a senior female officer – to resign in recent days in protest amid concerns that any such restrictions on hiring, however temporary and limited, could undermine the fighting strength of the service, the sources said.

An RAF spokesperson disputed the allegations:

“There is no pause in Royal Air Force recruitment and no new policy with regards to meeting in-year recruitment requirements,” the spokesperson said.

“Royal Air Force commanders will not shy away from the challenges we face building a service that attracts and recruits talent from every part of the UK workforce.

“As with the Royal Navy and British Army, we are doing everything we can to encourage recruiting from under-represented groups and ensure we have a diverse workforce.

“The Royal Air Force has a well-earned reputation for operational excellence that is founded on the quality of all our people. We will always seek to recruit the best talent available to us”.