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.