Police Scotland scraps plan to ban officers from having beards
6 December 2024, 12:14 | Updated: 6 December 2024, 14:43
Police Scotland has scrapped plans to ban officers from having beards.
The proposed clean-shaven policy was due to be introduced in May 2023, but was postponed amid a wave of complaints.
The policy would have forced frontline officers and staff to remove any facial hair, including beards and moustaches, to comply with close-fitting FFP3 face masks.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) - which represents rank and file officers - said it had been "inundated with complaints" and claimed a number of officers intended to pursue employment tribunal cases.
Police Scotland later paid out £60,000 in total to four officers who took legal action after being told to shave.
In July last year, the force announced the policy would be reviewed in a year following health and safety advice and having listened to feedback from officers.
On Friday, a spokesperson confirmed the plans had been axed.
They said: "We postponed implementation of the policy in July 2023 after listening to our people and reviewing health and safety evidence.
"There are no plans to introduce these changes."
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The SPF welcomed the news.
General secretary David Kennedy said: "The beard policy was a policy with no thought, no regard to equality and a draconian approach to common sense and proportionality in policing.
"It came off the back of mask wearing from COVID-19 and had no science behind its approach.
"We hope that as the police service evolves, so does modern attitudes towards people and more family-friendly policies."
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