POLICE Community Support Officers in Swindon have entered the row over their uniforms.

Union leaders have called for improvements to the uniforms of PCSOs in a bid to improve their efficiency.

Unison said that uniforms for the 15,000 workers around the UK varied widely, with some allowed to wear stab vests or high visibility jackets.

But the Police Feder-ation, which represents rank-and-file officers, warned that the move could build expectations among the public about the duties of the support staff.

In Swindon the issue is one of safe head gear for the PCSOs. One Swindon PCSO, who did not want to be named, said: "The one thing that annoys all of us is the hats. One, it looks like a traffic warden's and two, it's not safe.

"Their hats are hard, if they get hit on the head they are all right.

"I know the police want to distinguish us so the public know but it's a hindrance.

"If the hat was darker blue and hard it wouldn't be much of a problem because we have got a white shirt, black trousers and a pretty good stab vest."

The PCSO said better uniforms would mean better policing. "For general policing in neighbourhood areas or the town centre a better uniform would be more of a deterrent," he said.

"If people see a PCSO coming they know we can't arrest them but if they see what they think is a police officer coming they might think twice."

One female PCSO said the hats issue was not the same for women. "I think we do look very similar anyway," she said.

"Our uniform is the same except we have a blue tie whereas they wear black, we have blue epaulettes and a blue band around our hats whereas they have black and white cheques and we have a blue badge rather than a police badge.

"My hat has a hard top the same as a woman police officer so it would protect you but PCSO men don't get the helmets."

She added: "Because we are out in the community much more a lot of people stop us and say it's lovely to see us."

The number of PCSOs in Wiltshire in March this year was 121, compared to 1,232, police officers.

A spokesman for Unison's south west branch said: "I know police officers don't want PCSOs to look too much like police officers and I can see the sense in that.

"But the hats are a concern. Let's face it, they haven't got any protection at all when they're out on the street."

Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation, said: "I think it is going to build expectations on the part of the public, which will further confuse the situation and also it will make demands of PCSOs which they have neither the experience, the skills, or the powers to deal with."