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LONDON: An operational ‘hijab’, introduced by New Zealand Police to encourage more Muslim women to join, is being trialled in England for the first time.
According to a report by an international news channel, the head covering, which can be worn with police headgear and equipment, was created after 16 months of research.
It also has safety features such as magnetic fastenings which release easily if grabbed. The report further stated that the hijab is being used by one Leicestershire Police student officer but it could be rolled out further.
Leicestershire Police, in this regard, said it was the first force in the country to trial the New Zealand model. However, it is not the first to introduce a hijab. Earlier, Metropolitan Police, North Yorkshire Police and Police Scotland had used hijabs of different designs.
The Leicestershire Police informed that it had trialled a number of hijabs before, but none were successful.
Student officer Khadeejah Mansur, who is testing the hijab, said, “It is amazing and so comfortable. I am able to conduct my training just as well as everyone else and still be covered.”
“I believe it is important to have it as part of our uniform to make other Muslim females aware that Leicestershire Police caters to all individual needs, especially with our uniform,” she added.