A POLICE chief superintendent was given a dressing down by the Duke of York about his uniform during last week's royal visit to Thirsk.

Prince Andrew put area commander Chief Supt David Short on the spot as the two shook hands.

"Where is your jacket?" he asked after seeing that Chief Supt Short was wearing the bomber-jacket style of the national police uniform.

The officer said he was under orders to wear that uniform as opposed to a dress tunic.

"It is unacceptable," replied Prince Andrew.

The rebuke happened during last Friday's visit by the Duke of York to the Thirsk firm of Multi-Drive, one of a number of official engagements in the county.

Afterwards, the Vale of York MP, Anne McIntosh, who was in the company's foyer at the time of the exchange, said it was evidence of the Royal Family's concern at a general trend.

"This morning I saw first-hand evidence that the Royal Family is deeply concerned and I hope there is going to be proper consultation on this issue.

"It is a source of pride to serving officers that they have the uniform and I will seek to be briefed by Della Cannings. I will be asking where the police stand on this issue," she said.

North Yorkshire chief constable Della Cannings - who recently met Prince Charles while wearing the national uniform - said the clothes were applicable to modern policing. She and her fellow officers wore the uniform with pride.

She said police attended visits by members of the Royal Family and other VIPs, but as operational officers, smartly dressed and ready for any contingency. "And that includes me," she said.

Miss McIntosh said she was concerned at moves by the Government to dumb-down and dress-down public servants and to remove the Crown emblem from certain services.

It was on a recent visit to a young offenders' institution in Wetherby, she said, that she became aware it was a matter of serious concern. Prison workers were being consulted on plans to replace jacket, collar and tie with T-shirts and track suit trousers. "So there will be little difference between the dress of inmates and the dress of officers," she said.

"People such as police officers joined a service which has the Crown at its head. Now the word 'Crown' is coming out of titles of some key services and it begs the question if the same is going to happen to the police and armed forces? How extensive is this going to be?

"These people take pride in their work and their service to the Crown and through that to the public. Now we seem to be replacing the term with 'service to the public.'"

Miss McIntosh said she felt sorry that Chief Supt Short was put on the spot because of what he was wearing.

Ms Cannings said the national uniform was designed after years of research and was suitable for the challenges officers face. "The result is a uniform which enables officers to carry personal protection equipment, such as CS spray and handcuffs, in an accessible manner suitable for all weathers," she said.

"The national uniform is a practical piece of equipment designed for practical policing in the modern world."

"North Yorkshire officers have worn national uniform during other Royal visits without comment from any other member of the family, except the great interest shown by Prince Charles in the fluorescent woolly hats we wear in bad weather."

Ms Cannings said this led to her presenting the Prince of Wales with one for himself and two for his sons.

"We do not have a ceremonial remit and no longer have clothing for purely ceremonial wear," she said. "I will not be approaching the communities of North Yorkshire for extra funding to provide us with ceremonial uniforms."

* See royal visit, page 1