Police chiefs in the Philippines held keep-fit classes as they warned officers to lose weight - or face dismissal.

Footage shows hundreds of officers with prominent guts and muffin tops doing aerobics-style exercises at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Manila on Tuesday morning.

The fitness programme called 'Pulisteniks' - a portmanteau of police and callisthenics - was recently relaunched as the new national police chief Nicolas Torre III took office this month.

The police general said in his speech: 'This initiative is not just about stretching or running laps. It is about recognising a simple truth that too often gets overlooked: a healthy body is a healthy mind.

'Let us not treat this as an obligation. Let us make being healthy a part of our lifestyle as policemen. When our bodies are healthy, our minds are clear, our will strong, and our actions quick.'

The 'Pulisteniks' classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when police officers are allowed to end their workday two hours earlier.

PNP spokesman Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said a physical fitness test from patrolmen to generals will be conducted yearly.

She said: 'The chief doesn't want to see officers who are extremely overweight. If a policeman's job includes running, how can you run if you can't even carry yourself?'

The law establishing the Philippine National Police states that cops 'must weigh not more or less than five kilograms (5 kgs) from the standard weight corresponding to his or her height, age, and sex.'