HC Deb 05 February 1986 vol 91 cc148-9W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the details, in metric and non-metric figures, of the minimum height and eyesight requirements of police forces referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East of 29 January.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The present minimum height requirements for police forces in England and Wales are as follows:

Men Women
cm cm
*Avon and Somerset 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*Bedfordshire 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ns)
*Cambridgeshire 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Cheshire 173 (5.8ins) 163 (5.4¼Vains)
Men Women
cm cm
*City of London 180 (5. llins) 167 ½(5.6ins)
Cleveland 178 (5.10ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Cumbria 175 (5.9ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Derbyshire 177 (5.9¼ins) 168(5.6ins)
*Devon and Cornwall 175 (5.9ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Dorset 175 (5.9ins) 167½(5.6ins)
Durham 173 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Dyfed-Powys 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
*Essex 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
*Gloucestershire 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5 4ins)
*Greater Manchester 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Gwent 178 (5.10ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Hampshire 176 (5.9¼ins) 166 (5.5½Veins)
*Hertfordshire 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
*Humberside 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*Kent 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Lancashire 175 (5.9ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Leicestershire 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*Lincolnshire 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Merseyside 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*Metropolitan Police 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Norfolk 176 5.9¼ins) 165 (5.5ins)
Northamptonshire 175 (5.9ins) 165 (5.5ins)
*Northumbria 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*North Wales 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
North Yorkshire 175¼(5.9ins) 167½(5.6ins)
Nottinghamshire 176 (5.9¼ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*South Wales 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
South Yorkshire 176 (5.9¼ins) 168 (5.6ins)
*Staffordshire 172 (5.8ins) 167 (5.5½ins)
*Suffolk 172 (5.8ins) 167 (5.5½ins)
*Surrey 172 (5.8ins) 162 (5.4ins)
Sussex 172 (5.8ins) 167½(5.6ins)
*Thames Valley l75 (5.9ins) 165 (5.5ins)
*Warwickshire 172 (5.8ins) 167 (5.6ins)
West Mercia 172 (5.8ins) 162 ((5.4ins)
West Midlands 176 (5.9¼ins) 166 (5.5½ins)
*West Yorkshire 172 (5.8ins) 168 (5.6ins)
Wiltshire 172 (5.8ins) 167 (5.6ins)

The normal standard of vision is defined as an unaided distant vision of not less than 6/18 in each eye (Snellens' test), correctable with approved vision aids to a standard 6/6 in one eye, 6/12 in the other and 6/6 binocularly. The forces marked with an asterisk in the table accept candidates whose vision is correctable by glasses or by contact lenses to the normal standard of vision. The other forces require a higher standard.