Tattoo cover-up- 'Police officers should inspire confidence'

It doesn't just take the eye-popping body art of David Beckham and Robbie Williams to tell us that social attitudes towards tattoos have changed over the years.

These days, an emblem inked on your forearm is more likely to be seen as a lifestyle statement than a hallmark of a career spent in the navy.

One recent survey suggests as many as 29 per cent of Britons aged 16-44 now have some form of tattoo - although the same study also found that nearly a quarter of them regrets getting one.

Their rise in popularity over the last 20 years or so has taken tattooing from the fringes of society into the mainstream.

Few of us would be surprised to learn today that our boss, for instance, had a tattoo - but it doesn't mean we want to see it.

There will be sympathy for the Lothian and Borders Police officers who joined the force under one set of rules, but now find themselves ordered to cover up their tattoos even on the hottest of days.

Whether that extends to anything more than the tiniest smattering of support for the mooted legal challenge to their employers is another matter entirely.

Society has changed and it would be wrong of police chiefs to ignore that. They are right to revisit their policies.

They are also likely to find widespread support for their position among the general public.

Repeated surveys suggest that a significant minority - and not just among older people - remain uncomfortable with tattoos being on display, whether they find them intimidating or feel they look unprofessional.

We are used to hearing about the importance of public perception to modern policing. Having "bobbies on the beat" is important because it makes us feel safe, not because it's the best way to catch criminals. This is another case in point.

Every police officer should as far as possible inspire the confidence of everyone who might approach them on the street, even if that means at times bowing down to what some might see as old-fashioned attitudes.

Barack-ing for trams road closure

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It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for them.