New body armour for police

Strathclyde officers will be issued with the new vests

Officers from a Scotland's largest police force are to receive new body armour and protective vests.

Strathclyde Police are spending £2m on the equipment in a bid to reduce the number of staff injuries while on duty.

Frontline officers will receive the new light-weight body armour, which offers protection from stab wounds and low calibre handguns, by January next week.

The protective gear can be worn as part of the regular uniform and can also be used in undercover operations.

Chief constable John Orr: "Enhanced personal protection"

Strathclyde is the first force in Britain to develop the concept of integrated body armour and chief constable John Orr thinks the investment will save lives.

"Policing by its very nature, can often be very difficult and officers can find themselves in situations where they need protection from attacks involving weapons," he said.

"This new body armour is at the forefront of technology, providing the best quality, lightest armour available.

"It will give my officers the enhanced personal protection they truly deserve whilst maintaining the excellent image and standing of this force in the public eye," he added.

Knife attacks

The new body armour is being launched at a time when the number of assaults on Strathclyde officers is going down.

Latest figures comparing the first six months of this year and last year, show that total assaults on police officers dropped from 2,118 to 1,867.

During the same period, knife attacks on officers also dropped from 128 to 71.

The new body armour launched by Strathclyde Police is a variation of that piloted last year in South Lanarkshire.

Following consultation with officers the design was altered to make the garment 40% lighter.