By Steven Bell

RED-FACED police chiefs in Tayside have had to delay the complete roll-out of the force’s new uniform—after “quality issues” sent officers into a fashion time-warp.

Beat bobbies taking delivery of their smart new cargo pants instead unwrapped trousers reminiscent of 70s movie Saturday Night Fever.

Officers are said to be less-than-happy with the cut of the trousers, and many are wearing their old ones with the rest of the new uniform released this week.

“The old ones are perfectly serviceable, but it’s a wee bit embarrassing for the bosses because the full roll-out of the new uniforms hasn’t happened,” said a source.

“There appear to be quality issues with them. People of a certain age say they are like ‘parallels’ folk used to wear in the late 70s and early 80s.”

He said up to 2000 pairs—three per officer—could be involved.

The saggy slacks have been the talk of stations as the slick new uniform was rolled out after months of development.

Another officer told The Courier, “The trousers are supposed to be tapered at the bottom for practicality, but they’ve been made wrongly.”

One of the main reasons for the change is the new gear, including a T-shirt and a fleece jacket, takes into account the weather and types of work officers face.

Safety, comfort and visibility were also key factors in the new style.

Tayside Police was specifically asked yesterday how many pairs are affected, how much the problem will cost and who will foot the bill, but failed to respond.

“When the new trousers were issued to officers some inconsistencies in sizing were identified,” said Chief Inspector Jennifer Thornton.

“As a result, the force has worked closely with the manufacturer to quickly address these issues and officers will receive their new trousers in the near future.

“Tayside Police joined with a number of other Scottish police forces to procure the new uniform under a single contract to ensure best value was achieved.”