By Graham Brown

TAYSIDE JOINT Police Board members yesterday received a glimpse of the new uniform which operational officers will be sporting from spring.

Out go the familiar white collar and tie or cravat, and instead the ‘boys in blue’ will become ‘men—and ladies—in black’, with T-shirts to be worn under either either jackets, or new body armour which is also being introduced across the force.

‘Cargo pants’ with pockets on the thighs will also be issued and the new uniform has already won positive feedback from officers who have trialled it in Tayside.

Police say the uniform is designed to be fit for purpose, taking into account the different weather and types of work officers are faced with.

Safety, comfort and visibility were also key factors in arriving at the new style, which is being introduced across Scotland this year following the work of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland’s uniform and protective equipment group.

The new body armour is set to appear on the streets of Tayside from next month, and the force hopes to save on the cost of kitting out officers through national procurement economies of scale.

High-visibility jackets will still be worn, but otherwise officers will be dressed all in black.

Officers will wear either a black windproof fleece jacket, or the more traditional high- visibility yellow coat.

Non-operational officers will continue to wear collar and tie or cravat, with a jersey or the fleece jacket, which replaces the blouson-style jacket.

Chief Constable John Vine said he hoped the introduction of body armour would help prevent tragedies like the the fatal shooting of PC Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford last year.

Mr Vine told the meeting in Forfar, “I was the representative of the Scottish forces at the funeral of Sharon Beshenivsky, and I’m hopeful that this will help prevent a repeat of that tragic occurrence.”

He said Tayside officers were having their new uniform tailor-made to meet their individual needs.

“We have fitters who come to the police gym at Baluniefield with 1000 sets of uniform and officers are going there to get fitted out,” he said.

“They are getting it fitted to their individual shapes and are leaving with their new kit on the day.”