POLICE officers in Greater Manchester will be issued with bulletproof vests from March next year.
The vests - known as 'covert body armour' - will be worn under uniforms by 5,500 officers on the beat.
Today the Police Federation welcomed the announcement as a major boost to protect its members from increasingly violent attacks by criminals.
Recent figures show that more and more officers in Greater Manchester have been attacked on duty and forced to take sick leave.
Federation spokesman Mike Huby said: "We have been campaigning long and hard for better protection for our members and are delighted by this announcement."
The contract to provide the vests has now gone out and is expected to be supplied by next March.
Trials have been taking place in Bolton and other parts of Greater Manchester to come up with a comfortable design.
Mr Huby said: "The biggest problem has been perspiration but they seem to have overcome most of the difficulties."
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