Police Scotland ditches plan to ban officer beards

Police Scotland has scrapped plans that would have seen many frontline officers and staff having to shave off facial hair.

The clean-shaven policy was due to be introduced in May last year but caused controversy and its implementation was postponed for 12 months.

The force has now told BBC Scotland News there are “no plans” to introduce the changes.

Police Scotland paid out £60,000 in total to four officers who took legal action after being told to shave.

The Scottish Police Federation – which represents rank and file officers – said the policy had “no thought, no regard to equality and a draconian approach to common sense.”

In May 2023, BBC Scotland News saw a message posted on Police Scotland’s internal website from the then Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs outlining plans to introduce a clean-shaven policy.

The message said that while the risk from coronavirus had lowered, wider risks remained to officers – including fires – that required personal protective equipment to be worn.

This included FFP3 facemasks which require users to be clean shaven.

There would have been exemptions for people on grounds such as religion and disability.

But the Scottish Police Federation said it was inundated with complaints and Police Scotland soon postponed its implementation “to allow further examination of the evidence base.”

In July 2023 the force said its work would be “reviewed in 12 months to ensure we reach an agreed position on a policy which has the health and safety of our people at its core.”

In October 2023 it emerged Police Scotland had paid out a total of £60,000 to four officers who had taken legal action after being told to shave their facial hair.

Scottish Police Federation 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.

“Let’s hope that as the police service evolves so do modern attitudes to people and family-friendly policies.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson 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.”