POLICE Scotland has postponed a clean-shaven policy after taking health and safety advice and listening to officers.
The policy, which had already been delayed from May, would have required many frontline officers and staff to remove beards and moustaches.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), the LGBTI Police Association and others had criticised the plans and four officers took legal action.
Police Scotland have now confirmed that the policy will be reviewed again in 12 months.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “I am very grateful to all divisions, staff associations and unions who provided valuable feedback during the consultation phase.
“Postponing implementation allows further examination of the evidence base for a policy which is proportionate and justifies change, particularly where those changes have a significant impact on officers and staff.
“This work will 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 April, Speirs had written a message on the force’s internal website saying, with some exceptions, frontline officers and staff would need to be clean shaven so they could wear protective FFP3 masks.
He said the implementation of the policy had been approved by the chief constable and that it was due to be introduced on May 29.
However, the force had not yet carried out a consultation at this point and the SPF, which represents rank-and-file police officers, said it had been inundated with complaints.
Police Scotland told the BBC it made the decision to postpone after seeking further health and safety advice and listening to the “lived experience of its people”.
The SPF welcomed the move.
The federation’s general secretary David Kennedy said: “It was highly criticised from all areas of the service and whether to delay indefinitely, or until proper understanding as to why such a policy would ever be required, can only be described as the correct decision.”
Police Scotland did not confirm whether any agreement had been reached with the four male officers who took legal action over the policy.
