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Police officers in South Yorkshire once banned from showing their tattoos while on duty no longer have to cover them up following a policy U-turn.

Bosses at South Yorkshire Police say they have now “taken the decision to relax the force’s position on tattoos”.

The force used to have strict rules and any new recruits applying for posts used to have to send a photograph of their tattoos before they would be considered for a job.

It led to potential new officers being rejected.

Police officers in South Yorkshire are now able to display their tattoos

With police forces across the country needing to recruit 20,000 new bobbies over the next few years to boost numbers, a number of others have also relaxed their tattoo policies, including the Met.

South Yorkshire Police said: “Our Senior Command Team has taken the decision to relax the force’s position on tattoos. Officers and staff are now permitted to have their tattoos on show while on duty provided the tattoo is not deemed inappropriate or unacceptable. This decision was made in consultation with the Police Federation and it will be the same process for any new recruits.

“We hope this is welcome news that approved tattoos no longer need to be covered up when on duty. We are committed to being an inclusive organisation and it’s vital that our standards and appearance policy reflects this. We are confident that professional standards can be maintained while allowing self-expression.

“We are hopeful that this will also appeal to prospective applicants who have previously looked to join us but didn’t apply due to being unable to cover their tattoos. It’s important we are representative of our communities so we wouldn’t want to exclude anyone from applying to join us on the basis of their tattoos, so long as they meet the Code of Ethics and our standards.”

In the past South Yorkshire Police's Appearance and Standards Policy stated that tattoos visible on forearms, or in an open collared shirt or short sleeves were “not considered appropriate for those in a public facing role and must be covered up”.

It also stated that tattoos visible on an officer’s face, neck, hands or head were not permitted.

South Yorkshire Police officers now allowed to show their tattoos while on duty following policy U-turn