British police forces have spent more than £1m on uniforms for officers requiring sizes well beyond standard issue, according to a new investigation that has reignited questions over fitness standards and value for money.
Figures obtained by The Sun through Freedom of Information requests show that forces ordered 282 XXXXL vests over the past two years, with the garments designed to accommodate chests measuring up to 68 inches. Constabularies also commissioned at least 1,089 bespoke body armour vests for officers who could not be fitted with standard equipment.
The scale of the orders varied considerably. Cumbria Police ordered 731 bespoke sets of body armour, while the Metropolitan Police bought 82 pairs of patrol trousers for 50-inch waists and another 88 for 48-inch waists. The Met also ordered trousers in larger sizes, including 56R and 60R.
The spending has attracted particular scrutiny in Lincolnshire, where the force spent almost £90,000 on just 149 oversized body armour sets. Hampshire Police incurred a bill of £46,955.60 for 41 sets, equivalent to more than £40,000 in total expenditure.
The figures have prompted criticism from Peter Bleksley, a former Metropolitan Police detective, who argued that officers must be physically capable of carrying out the demands of frontline policing.
“If you have a 60-inch waist or a 68-inch chest, you aren’t fit enough to be a police officer,” he told The Sun.
“We’ve seen the standards that were enforced fade away and diluted to the point of being meaningless. It’s utterly ridiculous.”
He added that officers needed to be fit enough to run, fight and detain suspects, arguing that those unable to perform those duties should consider alternative work.
But the Police Federation rejected the emphasis on uniform measurements, arguing that the priority should be ensuring every officer has protective equipment that fits properly.
Paul Williams, the federation’s acting national chairman, said officers “come in all shapes and sizes” and regularly put their lives at risk.
“Frankly, the public should be far more concerned about whether officers have body armour that can save their lives than the size on their uniform label,” he said.
The dispute highlights a tension between demands for accountability over public spending and the practical requirements of frontline policing. Uniform sizes alone do not establish whether an officer meets the physical standards required for the job, while ill-fitting protective equipment can raise its own operational concerns.
The figures have nevertheless intensified scrutiny of how forces assess fitness, procure specialist equipment and demonstrate value for money at a time when police budgets face competing demands.
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