Thames Valley Police will be introducing a new uniform for all operational officers in January 2010.

The Chief Constable’s Management Team has decided to replace the white shirt, black tie, office trousers and helmet with a black shirt, black combat trousers and flat caps for men. Women will continue to wear the bowler-style hat.

Officers who are office-based will continue to wear the existing uniform. Those that do occasional operational work will be able to request one set of the new uniform. Police said the change followed consultation with officers which showed the vast majority felt the current uniform was outdated and not practical.

A proposed new uniform, which included a baseball cap in place of the traditional helmet, was trialled in Aylesbury for three months from November 2008.

The feedback from officers was in favour of the new uniform, but with mixed views on the baseball caps which some felt were not smart enough and did not contribute to the professional image which Thames Valley Police wants to portray.

Members of the public were also asked for their views at eight road shows across the Force. A thousand questionnaires were completed at the road shows, where several student officer models, both male and female, wore the trial uniform. Police sasid the people who attended were in favour of the new uniform.

As well as the road shows, a questionnaire was available on the Thames Valley Police and Thames Valley Police Authority websites asking for the public’s views. The Force received more than 1,000 responses, which were mixed, but with the majority in favour of the suggested black uniform.

The new uniform will be no more expensive than the existing one and Thames Valley Police is also looking to collaborate with other forces looking to make similar changes to see if further cost savings could be made.

Chief Insp Dave Parker, project coordinator, said: “Policing is constantly changing and is obviously a physically demanding and sometimes dangerous job which necessitates officers having a comfortable uniform which is fit for purpose.

"The current uniform has not been updated for many years and we believe the new uniform will meet officers’ requirements.

“The public have been widely consulted for their thoughts and the majority have been positive about the change. The contract for supplying the new uniforms will now be put out to tender and we hope to begin rolling it out to all five Basic Command Units in Thames Valley from January 2010. Collaboration opportunities with other Forces are being sought in an effort to see if further savings can be made.”