page_title: Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom
section_title: Full Ceremonial
hierarchical_section_title: Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom / Uniform / Current uniform / Full Ceremonial
caption_attribution_description: English: Mounted Police officers outside St Paul's Cathedral during the Diamond Jubilee
context_page_description: Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom have varied considerably from the inception of what were the earliest recognisable mainstream police forces in the early 19th century. As various pieces of legislation in the middle part of the 19th century standardised policing in the United Kingdom, so too, did the uniforms and equipment become standardised. From a variety of home grown uniforms, bicycles, swords and pistols the British police force evolved in look and equipment through the long coats and top hat, to the recognisable modern uniform of a white shirt, black tie, reflective jackets, body armour, and the panda car, to the present-day Airwave radios, electric vehicles and tasers.
  Police uniform and equipment varies enormously per police force or service and different uniforms and equipment is used for different situations. The lists here are not exhaustive, nor specific for each force, but give a general overview of typical uniform and equipment used in the United Kingdom.
context_section_description: Certain officers, in certain positions wear what is known as 'full dress' i.e. a dress above and smarter than the usual No. 1 tunic style. Examples include the mounted police of the Greater Manchester Police and of the Merseyside Police who wear a ceremonial uniform which includes a distinctive cavalry-style helmet, similar to those worn by the Household Cavalry. Mounted police in Cleveland Police wear a similar uniform, but with a red rather than a white plume.
  Other examples include escorts to civic officials in a ceremonial capacity, such as the Lord Mayor's Mace Escort of Avon and Somerset Constabulary who wear Victorian style uniform tunic, white gloves, wide leather belts with a fitting for an oil lantern and spit and polished boots with British service pattern helmets with silver trim worn in the high slung position.
  The commissioners and other senior-ranked officers of the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police wear a full dress ceremonial uniform on state and special occasions. This includes a high-necked tunic with silver or gold trimmings and is worn with a sword and a cocked hat.
caption: The Assistant Commissioner, City of London Police, dressed in full ceremonial uniform for the Diamond Jubilee (2012).