HALF of Scotland’s police forces are boycotting a new £24 uniform made in China that they claim leaks and makes officers sweat.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file officers, has claimed the uniform does not meet the rigorous standards required for frontline policing. A source last week described it as “cheap and shoddy”.

Trousers costing £8 have been described as “ill-fitting” and a “breathable” £4 T-shirt, designed to be worn under body armour, has been ditched because it causes excessive sweating.

In Grampian, tests on a new £12 fleece — which is supposed to be wind and waterproof — found that water leaked through the stitching.

Concerns have also been raised with senior officers in Northern constabulary, where female officers are refusing to wear a new blouse because they say the material is so thin it is more like a “negligee”.

Similar complaints over the quality of clothing have been expressed by officers in Tayside and Central Scotland where thousands of pounds have been spent buying in microfleeces to provide additional protection against the elements.

There have been growing concerns over the quality of garments since April when forces started buying the new uniforms from an English supplier at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Some forces are refusing to use the authorised suppliers while others are boycotting the fleece and T-shirt.

Although the new uniform has been tested in Strathclyde with relatively few complaints, senior figures in the SPF believe that extreme weather conditions in northern Scotland have exposed weaknesses.

The matter will be raised this week with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos), which will be urged to go back to the drawing board to develop a more “robust” uniform.

“I am aware of concerns and we will be meeting Acpos to discuss them,” said David Dick, who is handling the uniform issue for the SPF. “Obviously we need to address these problems quickly and senior officers may need to find a solution to help officers deal with colder weather in some parts of Scotland.”

A source said: “Officers need decent clothing on the front line, not this crap they’ve been issued. It’s unacceptable and a disgrace that they are being expected to wear a uniform which costs just £24.”

Plans to ditch traditional white shirts, pullovers and protective vests with black T-shirts, fleeces and lightweight body armour were unveiled last year as part of a drive to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Senior officers hoped it would save hundreds of thousands of pounds with each of Scotland’s eight police forces ordering equipment and clothing from a single catalogue.

In Tayside hundreds of pairs of new trousers had to be returned after a manufacturing mix-up led to some officers being sent flared trousers.

In Edinburgh, senior councillors criticised the all-black uniforms for making officers look like “Nazi stormtroopers”.

Acpos confirmed that concerns over the uniforms would be addressed, adding: “All contracts for the procurement of police uniforms in Scotland are with UK companies. These companies have factories based in America, Asia, Europe and north Africa.”

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