British Police Uniform Part 1 - Jackets, Capes, Shirts, Ties

Police Jackets, Capes, Shirts, Ties

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This section of my blog focuses on some of the most significant uniform changes for Avon & Somerset Constabulary since it was formed in 1974. I've also references other UK police forces for comparison. When I started my blog there were surprisingly few photographs available in the public domain showing Avon & Somerset Police officers, especially in the early years. In the last few years Avon & Somerset Constabulary have published many old photographs on Flickr. This has proved to be an excellent source for my research. However, they still seem to be rather cautious about making any current modern day photographs public. Other Police Forces such as Greater Manchester Police seem to be much more comfortable about using social media to share photographs of modern day policing. Perhaps it's a privacy issue for them.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary officers 1970's

Each new decade brings a variety of changes to uniform and equipment. Special Constables have generally been issued with the same clothing as their regular colleagues, but without the helmet until the 1990's. Specials were often issued with old stock so didn't always have the latest clothing or equipment. In some cases during the 1980's Specials were even issued with standard ties rather than the safer 'clip-on' version. 

The changing face of Policing - an Avon & Somerset Police Officer

1970's

When Avon & Somerset Constabulary was formed in 1974 the uniform remained almost unchanged from the predecessor Police Forces. One visible change was that the tunic no longer had a belt fitted as did both Somerset and Bristol Constabulary beforehand (with the exception of senior ranks). The new tunics were fitted with generic police sliver buttons which feature a crown inside a circular 'wreath swirl' (see more under Uniforms part 2). Blue shirts were standard issue and white shirts reserved for senior ranks of Inspector and above. Senior officers were also issued with brown leather gloves and black gloves were issued to other ranks. Coats issued were the long length winter greatcoats and raincoats. High collar capes were still being issued throughout the 1970s'. Trousers were of the same wool/nylon mix as the tunic and had a long pocket running down one trouser leg for the truncheon. The standard uniform trouser belt was 1.25" wide, black leather with a silver buckle.

London Metropolitan Police officers during the 1970's.

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The group photograph below is of particular interest as it helps identify the period when peaked caps were issued with the now familiar chequered cap band. The photograph was taken at the former Police training centre located at Chartmarle Dorset on 4 August 1972. Some, but not all of the officers can be seen wearing the chequered band on their peaked caps. This suggests that the chequered band was being issued for the first time during 1972.

These new recruits are from several different Police forces and some are wearing helmets with a chrome helmet band, which is almost certainly Somerset & Bath Constabulary (see my separate post on Somerset & Bath Constabulary). Another point if interest is that the Devon & Cornwall officers identified by their ball top helmets, do not use belts on their tunics. Avon & Somerset Constabulary dispensed with tunic belts for 'other ranks' when it was formed in 1974. The officers here are also using their helmet chin straps, which ceased to be mandatory when on duty around this time.

Police Scotland comparison of  a 1970/80's WPC and the uniform of today

Avon & Somerset Constabulary issued long length raincoats made by J&S Rainwear during the 1970's. Old 'new stock' continued to be issued to Special Constables during the 1980's. 

Standard issue raincoat c. 1970's made by J&S Rainwear

Generic black plastic crown button on each epaulette

1980's

During the 1980's long style knee-length coats were superceded by the shorter style raincoat which was better suited to car use. The shorter jacket was black nylon with a white woven 'POLICE' badge on the top left pocket flap. There were no epaulettes on these jackets so cloth collar numbers were sewn onto one of the jacket lapels as seen below.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary Officer early 1980's

Textile numbers like these were used on the standard anorak and also NATO jumpers throughout the 1980's. 

Early versions had a hood and came with detachable linings. The jacket collar was partly fabric for a more comfortable fit. Other Police forces issued slight variations of this jacket like those shown below. 

The example jacket shown in Fig. 1 (scroll down) is a South Wales Police jacket from 1985. Instead of using collar numbers attached to the lapel like Avon & Somerset, this jacket had a plastic badge attached to the two button holes just below the woven POLICE breast pocket badge. This style of jacket with the original POLICE badge is now rare since they were mostly thrown away when superceded by the goretex version. The majority of those which did survive, had their Police badge removed. 

Special Constables in Avon & Somerset were still being issued with the traditional winter knee length greatcoats (below) and raincoats during this decade.

Special Constables patrolling Weston Super Mare sea front early 1980's

These two Special Constables are on foot patrol at Weston Super Mare, Somerset and wear their 'greatcoats'. This photograph was probably taken in the early 1980's. Such greatcoats were intended for foot patrol and not suitable for use in vehicles. Although these were no longer standard issue to regular officers in the 1980's, old stock continued to be issued to Special Constables.


Regular female officers were issued with the hardened bowler hat from about 1985. Female special constables continued to be issued with the old style soft white top hats as seen in the photograph above.  These were eventually replaced by the bowler at the same time male Special Constables were issued with custodian helmets for the first time in 1992.

The other significant change was the woolen 'NATO' style pullover introduced about 1986. This was a ribbed 'V' neck pullover similar to those used by the British military but in navy blue. It had velcro fastening epaulettes and fitted with the 'bell' shaped badge. This meant that officers no longer had to wear their tunic on duty. There was some resistance to the introduction of pullovers by senior officers at the time. Some long serving officers preferred to continue wearing their tunics despite having the new pullovers. The pullover was a significant departure from the traditional police uniform. These were offered to Special Constables for the first time in the early 1990's for a cost of £10. 

'NATO' style pullovers for operational duty 1991

This next photograph illustrates some of the uniform changes made by Avon & Somerset Constabulary. Male officers still wore blue shirts until they were gradually phased out by the white shirts in the early 1990's. Other noticeable changes include the female tie changed to the same type used by male officers. Skirts were superceded by trousers for female officers. This photograph is one of the few I've used from other sources and credit goes to Avon & Somerset Constabulary's own website. The caption shows the first photograph as being 1987, but I suspect it was nearer to 1990 since the male officer has the new style coloured helmet plate.The first photograph on the left was taken in Broadmead shopping centre, Bristol. You can see the British Homestores (BHS) sign in the background, which occupied the same corner location for many years. Sadly, that store has been another victim of recession and was closed around June 2016.

Norman Pascal and Sue Scott as PCs in 1987 (left), to Chief Inspector and Detective Chief Superintendent 2015 (right)

1990's

Jackets with a breathable fabric (e.g. Goretex) were issued to the Police for the first time in 1990 and gradually rolled out to most Police Forces throughout the UK. These were of a similar design to the previous 1980's versions but incorporated two  loops on the front which could be used to secure the new style Motorola HT600E radio microphone. The example jacket shown in Fig. 4 is one of the first of these jackets issued to the Police in 1990. There are no labels to confirm which Police force this originates from but information given to me suggested it could be Essex. I understand there were problems with the detachable velcro epaulettes on this jacket so the design was changed. 

Edward MacBean & Co. were one of the manufacturers who produced this style of jacket for the Police. The company was founded in Glasgow in July 1876. They were well known for Macintosh raincoats. In modern times they supplied waterproofs to the Post Office, British Telecom, the Army and the Police. They won a contract to supply traffic Police jackets to Strathclyde. In 1994 the company was acquired by the Hollas Group only to go into receivership in 1998. The company continued in some form but had finally closed down by 2005. An example of how suppliers have come and gone over the years.

Other significant uniform changes came with the introduction of white shirts for all ranks and trousers for female officers at the beginning of the decade.

Female Special Constables were now being issued with the hardened bowler style hat as already worn by regular officers.

The front cover of 'Special Beat' magazine in 1992 features Avon & Somerset Special Constables taking part in a recruitment advertising photo shoot. The officer is wearing the standard uniform in use during the 1980's and early 1990's. The cap badge is the pre-colour version mounted on the centre of the chequered band. The new style colour version started to appear in the early 1990's. The detachable shirt epaulettes have a small Special Constabulary cloth badge below the metal numbers. The blue shirts were just in the process of being replaced by white at this time but some Special Constables continued wearing blue until the mid 1990's. The officer wears two charity pin badges on his tie. Many officers would often wear a charity tie pin. I've included pictures of these in my section on 'Other Badges'.

Special Beat magazine Winter 1992

Special Constables Ken Thomas and Anastasia de Cesare at another photo shoot on Whiteladies Road, Bristol 1992

This is the standard issue Goretex raincoat issued to male and female officers during the 1990's in the days before over-sized high visibility jackets became the norm:

1990's era Avon & Somerset Constabulary Police Officers

2000-2010

The Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997 meant that safety regulations now applied to Police officers in their work. As a result of this some of the most significant uniform changes to come were safety related, including the introduction of stab-proof vests and high visibility jackets.


 This article from the Daily Mail in 2013 talks about a 'high viz' culture:

 

You can read the article in full here Since when has it been compulsory to wear hi-viz?

Police Officers sometimes wear their long sleeve reflective vests under their stab proof vest, which seems to defeat the purpose of  wearing high visibility clothing in the first place. Personally I feel that high visibility clothing should be reserved for traffic duties only - does everybody really need to wear it for their daily work? There are many other Police Forces around the world who do not wear high visibility clothing for everyday use, so it's hard to see why the UK sees this as a necessity.

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Here's an example of a typical high visibility lightweight vest/jacket like those used by Avon & Somerset Constabulary. This one has the owners own personal Police number sewn on the front as in the photograph above. It has loops on each shoulder for attaching epaulettes. It's made by Leo Workwear of Barnstaple, Devon. 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Avon & Somerset Constabulary officer
early 2000's. 

• Fleece jackets replaced the NATO style pullovers.
• Handbags for female officers were discontinued in 2001.
• The traditional heavy woolen trousers were replaced in favour of lightweight trousers sometimes described as 'combat' style. More recently, the 'softshell' jacket seems to the be the latest 'technical' clothing to supercede the original style fleece.

Over the last 10 years the market for 'tactical' clothing and equipment for the Police in the UK has grown significantly. It seems modern Policing requires a whole range of different accessories for different situations. The result of this is a more military appearance which some might say is not in keeping with the founding principles of a civilian Police Force. However, there's no doubt that the Police need the right 'tools' for the job in a changing society.

The use of velcro as a means of securing patches has now become standard practice. This is of course more 'efficient' as it means patches can be quickly and easily added or removed such as prior to disposal.

2002 saw the introduction of Police Community Support Officers (PCSO). I was initially sceptical about this new role when it first appeared. However, I feel they do have a place which complements what the Regular officer and Special Constables do. They offer a uniform presence on the streets at a time when Police officers are rarely seen on foot patrol in many towns and cities. They can gain useful intelligence from closer contact with the community.

2010-2020

Changes during this decade include withdrawal of the traditional white collar shirt as seen below.  

PC 4386  Matt Bailey (2013)

In 2016 all front line officers were issued with 'body cams'.

In 2017 the black zip up nylon shirts replaced the traditional white collar shirts for operational use. This makes sense from a practical/comfort point of view. Traditional shirts were simply not compatible with modern day 'body armour'. I think it's a shame but a sign of the times. About the same time the custodian helmet was changed to a chrome band around the outside.

Inspector Martin Rowland (2018) wearing the new style shirt

This next photograph from 2019 illustrates the transition to the new helmets with some officers still wearing the older issue helmets which feature a black metal band around the outside.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary Police Officers 2019

 

 

 

 

2008 saw a media frenzy on knife crime even though the general trend since the 1990's shows violent crime decreasing. Perhaps such high profile concerns were another factor to justify issuing stab-proof vests. I wonder if the risk to officers is any higher now than it was 100 years ago?

You can read the whole news article here.

2019 has seen incidents of knife crime making the headlines once again. Perhaps we can learn something from how New York dealt with the same thing back in the 1960s/70s?

Sussex Police - The Daily Telegraph 11 June 2010

 

The British Association of Police Women have been campaigning to receive clothing which is 'fit for purpose' and meets their own needs.

First style fleece jacket

 

New style 'softshell' jacket by Turner Virr

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The next three jackets all date from the 1980's. Various makers supplied these generic style jackets which are based on the same specification with some minor differences between Police Forces. The part woven collar can be found on all those issued throughout the 1980's. All of these had detachable winter liners and hoods. The first jackets were probably issued to dog handlers without any badges. The "Police" badge was added when they were widely issued in the early 1980's. 

The font used on these jacket badges varies slightly over time but was typically white woven block capitals on a vinyl back and sewn onto the top left side breast pocket. I've included examples of these in my post on cloth badges. 

Jackets 4 and 5 are the newer Goretex versions which were issued from 1990.

Despite their rarity, such jackets are of limited appeal to most people so even those in original condition with breast pocket badge are only worth £15-£20. No doubt they would sell more easily without the Police badge!

Jackets: Fig. 1

An example of one of the first new style short jackets which began to appear in the early 1980's. This example was made in 1985 and supplied to South Wales Police. 

South Wales Police jacket 1985

The button holes are used for attaching the plastic type of badge 

The woven part of the collar is typical of raincoats issued during the 1980's

 

This type of plastic badge was fitted to the jacket as shown below

'Storm cuffs'

Heavy duty two way zip and velcro zip cover

Underarm ventilation holes provided the only form of 'breathability' pre-Goretex

Two large 'cargo' pockets on each side of the inside lining

The smaller zip would be used for a detachable insulated winter lining

One of two inside labels

Makers label - Weatherguard brand name

 Jackets Fig. 2

This next example is a rare British Transport Police jacket from the 1980's. Note that it also has the part-fabric collar typical of this period. These 1980's versions with the fabric collar are increasingly  hard to find in their original condition with breast pocket badge.

1980's British Transport Police jacket

 

 

Jackets: Fig. 3

This is a 1980's unissued jacket made by Michael Gould (Weatherwear) Ltd. There are no labels on this jacket to indicate which Police Force this was supplied to. The maker was based in Manchester but this may not have been supplied to Greater Manchester Police since their jackets had epaulettes, which are absent on this version. This example is a size XXL, which may be why it was never issued.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary did not use epaulettes on their jackets and chose to sew on cloth collar numbers on one lapel. This one has an insulated inner liner which can be removed using the metal zip. The hood is also detachable by means of a zip. I've seen photos of officers using these with hoods in the early days of issue. Hoods were usually removed since they were not needed, especially since headgear was always worn outside. This could also be a potential safety hazard if someone grabbed the hood during a struggle.

A mint, unissued 1980’s standard issue Police jacket

Typical part woven collar

Detachable hood with drawstrings

Detachable quilted liner - often missing from original examples

Generic Police badge sewn onto the jacket breast pocket

Jackets: Fig. 4

An example of one of the first Goretex jackets to be issued in 1990. These were a big improvement in terms of comfort and usually had a detachable cold weather liner.

Unknown Police Force but possibly Essex

Generic POLICE pocket badge

The hood on this version is secured with buttons rather than zip

This version has velcro pads on the shoulders for attaching the epaulettes

 Jackets: Fig. 5

This next example is one of the last black Goretex Avon & Somerset police jackets to be issued just before they changed to the high visibility style. The jacket here was made in 1999 by Carrington Textiles of Lancashire and although issued, it was never used. From a distance it looks like the "Police" is woven directly onto the jacket. On closer inspection it can be seen that this is a nylon patch sewn onto the pocket flap. These patches are rare since they were usually removed prior to the jacket disposal and different to the vast mast majority found on eBay. Another example of this can be seen under my section of cloth badges. This version introduced epaulette loops and loops on the front for attaching the radio microphone.

1990's standard issue Avon & Somerset Constabulary anorak

Detachable lining

 

The generic 'POLICE' badge used by Avon & Somerset Constabulary was typically a wide font with no thread connecting the letters, as seen on the jacket in Figure 3.

Woven badge sewn onto the breast pocket

The two rectangular pieces of jacket material are radio microphone loops

Shoulder loops with press stud epaulettes

All original labels are intact

Brand name for breathable fabric used by Carrington Textiles

Avon & Somerset Police officer wearing the Gortex jacket in the 1990's

Jacket makers

It's more common to find makers labels in older jackets. The older knee length greatcoats and raincoats common in the 1970's period were made by various makers. Two of the more well known makers were J&S Rainwear and Grantham. J&S Rainwear Ltd. was established in 1959 and closed around 1998. Grantham appears to have ceased trading by 1977. These makers supplied many Police Forces throughout England and Wales. J&S Rainwear have previously supplied Avon & Somerset Constabulary with the longer style raincoats. Unissued versions of these occasionally appear on eBay. These raincoats used generic black crown buttons and later versions did not always have any labels to to identify which Police Force they originated from.

J. & S. Rainwear Ltd. Manchester

J & S Rainwear label 1998 - probably one of the last to be produced

The jacket in Fig. 1, was made by Jeltek Weatherguard Ltd. of Dunfirmline. The company was established in 1931 under the name of Robert Hirst & Co. Limited. They were makers of the 'Warmlite' coat in the 1950's. It began trading under the name of Jelteck in November 1985 and the company was dissolved in 2004.

Edward MacBean & Co. Ltd made the jacket shown in Fig. 2. The company was founded in Glasgow in 1876. Initially they made horse blankets but later moved to rain wear like the Macintosh raincoat. The company later supplied the Post Office, British Telecom and Army as well as the Police. In 1994 the company was acquired by the Hollas Group. It was bought out by the management after going into receivership in 1998. The company went into receivership once again in 2000 and was finally dissolved in 2005. Towards the end of it's production it had a contract to supply Strathclyde Police with Traffic issue rain jackets.


Michael Gould (Weatherwear) Limited also produced a version of the generic black police jacket in the 1980's. The company was formed in 1977 but dissolved in 2002. They were based in Manchester. Their jackets came with detachable lining and detachable hoods, but did not have epaulettes. I'm not sure which Police Forces were supplied with these particular jackets. The hoods were usually removed in service since they were of limited use for a uniformed officer wearing headgear.

 

From a collector's point of view, finding an authentic jacket can be difficult. eBay is flooded with ex-Police raincoats (most of which are over-priced) but it's rare to find any with the original POLICE insignia and makers labels still attached. Stocks of the 1980's issue raincoats are now gone and therefore very hard to find.

Typical makers labels found on raincoats during the 1970's and 1980's

Shirts

Blue shirts had been the standard issue for most Police officers in England and Wales since the 1930's. White shirts were previously only issued to senior ranks and female officers.  White shirts were issued to all ranks from about 1992 in Avon & Somerset. This marked a departure from tradition and was no doubt based on the cost savings from procurement of one colour. The introduction of body armour has made shirts less practical and many Police forces have adopted the long sleeve zip up black nylon style. These are no doubt more comfortable but have been criticised for being too casual and the material is prone to 'pilling' after prolonged use. In 2011 Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, spoke out publicly against the all-black kit favoured by an increasing number of Constabularies. It seems that in the UK at least, the general public are also not quite ready for such a change. However, as each decade passes, a more relaxed dress code is becoming socially acceptable in many occupations. It's not that long ago that a shirt and tie was the standard dress code for male workers in offices. During the 1960's Civil Servants in Whitehall were still wearing bowler hats!

Since about 1990 both the blue and white shirts had loops added to the chest for attaching radio microphones, as with the jackets. Yorkshire based shirt makers Double Two have supplied Avon & Somerset with both blue and white shirts. As already mentioned, the blue shirts were being phased out from about 1990.

1990's Double Two shirt

Ties

Avon & Somerset male officers wear the standard black clip on tie. Female officers had previously worn their own 'bow-tie' version.

1960's era Crimplene police tie

1980's issue Avon & Somerset police tie

The standard issue tie is a clip-on type. Unusually, the example shown above was issued to a Special Constable with Avon & Somerset in 1987. This was changed for the clip-on version for obvious safety reasons. Over time, female officers have worn a variety of neck ties including the same as male officers.

Female officers bow tie of the type worn by Avon & Somerset c.1990's

Picture showing two different types of clip

Example of a clip on tie used by London Met female officers

London Met Police officer wearing the chequered tie

A selection of neck ties seen here on the cover of Police Review 1980

Civilian navy blue Avon & Somerset police bow tie

 

Anne Dowell (centre) seen here wearing the Police support staff bow tie

Police capes

The traditional wool cape was still being issued in the late 1970's, including Avon & Somerset Constabulary. Collar numbers and division numbers would be mounted on the high neck collar as seen below on this Bristol Constabulary example. Some buttons displayed the Police Force name or crest and were made of animal horn dyed black, or plastic on later versions. Others like City of Bath Police used both their own buttons as well as the generic Kings crown buttons within a wreath. Capes were made of heavy wool and warm but not waterproof.  A small metal hook was used to close the collar. A blackened brass chain with lions head fixings are typical on capes. These frequently appear on eBay and sometimes incorrectly described as being older than they really are. They typically sell for around £40 for a good example. However, it can be hard to find one with all original buttons, collar numbers and a label to indicate which Police Force it originated from. These are large and heavy so storing them can be a problem!

Britsol Constabulary cape

Police cape button

1960's era Somerset Constabulary Officer

During the 1960's capes supplied to Somerset Constabulary were made by C.H. Bernard & Sons Ltd. They were suppliers of naval uniforms and also supplied the ambulance service during that time. 

Harwich & Manningtree Standard 2015

The end of an era

Perhaps surprisingly, there were still a few remaining Police officers to be seen wearing their capes for the last time in Blandford 2007, Peterborough 2010 and Ilfracombe, Devon in 2012.

Chief Inspector Steve Lodge, Peterborough 2010

Could we see the return of the Police cape?

Is the future bright?.......

A 'mock up' of what a future badge could look like

In 2015 a new post of Programme Director was created to lead the new 'Strategic Alliance' between Avon & Somerset Police and Wiltshire Police. The aim is to generate savings from sharing services and procurement. On the face of it this appears to be a positive response to the threat of  further budget cuts. The truth is whatever efficiency savings you make it will never be enough - the bar is continually raised.

Organisations often make the mistake of cutting back on things which have a big impact on staff but are a drop in the ocean in terms of the overall budget savings. This can affect moral and every officer who subsequently resigns has lost the organisation a significant investment. Staff payroll is the biggest cost and that's something which can only be reduced so far before it tips the balance and affects the service provided. Obviously doing nothing is not an option either so there lies the dilemma. This is perhaps another reason why the Special Constabulary is invaluable. Not to be relied on to fill gaps from budget cuts but there to support an often overstretched Police Force.

 The 'Strategic Alliance' is a step towards a merger which has so far been resisted. We're often told to embrace change and not resist it. That's fine as long as it's done for the right reasons and done in the right way. Senior managers are often keen to make their mark by demonstrating efficiency savings and earn extra 'brownie points'. However, civilian managers are often not around long enough to see the resulting fallout. Management consultants have been a popular choice for organisations, especially in the early 2000's. It seems they are viewed as having the answers to all the problems. It's easy to make things more complicated than they are when a common sense approach is often enough. Spending money on management consultants to save money is not necessary. It's seen as an easy option when people can't come up with any good ideas themselves. 

 

In terms of the future uniform, the reality is that the Police uniform does need to evolve to be fit for purpose. We may not yet be ready to embrace the type of 'overall' uniform often seen on the continent, but it certainly is the most practical and comfortable option. 

The Swedish Police have adopted a practical uniform