Yorkshire firm hopes new-style armoured textile will save lives

The lightweight vest has been welcomed by a Police Federation official who hopes it could strike a balance between high profile policing and the need to provide officers with less cumbersome equipment.

Ripon-base PPSS has made a name for itself manufacturing bespoke clothing resistant to knife, bite and slash attacks for those who face violence in the workplace all over the world.

Now the company has developed a new cut-resistant fabric, which can protect the wearer but is no thicker than a normal T-shirt.

The invention, called Cut-Tex Pro, is a groundbreaking combination of super-tough fibres combined with other weaves created by high-density knitting machines, resulting in an outstanding cut-resistant fabric.

Managing director Robert Kaiser said the list of potential applications for the world-beating material was endless. He added: "Already there has been a huge amount of interest in Cut-Tex Pro."

The company says its quality has already been underlined by passing the highest British Standard test possible for textiles with flying colours.

Mr Kaiser added: "With Cut-Tex Pro, we now have a material that is incredibly lightweight and breathable." The fabric is also being turned into sweatshirts for metal workers, boiler suits for secure mental health hospital nurses and trousers for binmen.

North Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Mark Botham said: "We would welcome anything that means having items of equipment that are more user friendly and that pose less of a risk to officers in terms of the weight they are carrying.

"We would look forward to being approached by the company to discuss cost, wearabilty and durability. If you look at the policing pledge and public confidence issue, what we are talking about is something which is less overt."