City's RAF uniform ban is lifted

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Off-duty military personnel serving at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire have been told they can once again wear their uniforms in Peterborough.

The restriction on wearing uniforms was imposed about 10 months ago after reports staff were verbally abused by people opposed to the war in Iraq.

RAF Wittering said that from Friday off-duty personnel can wear uniforms.

The decision followed a review which found that the "security situation had improved" since the ban was imposed.

Group Captain Paul Higgins said: "Wherever possible and appropriate we have always encouraged our service personnel to wear their uniforms in public with pride, as we did on the 19 October 2008, when we exercised our Freedom of the City of Peterborough.

The ban was controversial in local and national newspapers

"I am delighted that the findings of the review have now permitted me to lift the ban on our personnel wearing their uniforms without restriction whenever they visit Peterborough."

When base commander, Group Captain Ro Atherton, ordered uniforms should not be worn in the city, it was described as "a local decision to deal with a local problem".

The incidents were reported to RAF police locally rather than the Cambridgeshire Police, which said it had no record of any problems.