Are british police officers allowed to cover their badge numbers?

This is to do with the G20 protests.

Apparently the police covered their badge numbers before attacking the *peaceful* protesters.(so no one can file a complaint against an individual officer.)

If they are allowed to cover their numbers then the law needs changed.
If they aren't then they should be fired.

So how does it work then?
Additional Details
No, the source is a reporter for the guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/apr/02/g20-protest-climate-camp

"isitme"

The source of information wouldn't happen to be the protesters would it?

cristine.murray@btinternet.com

no they are not supposed to as far as i know as this is how they are supposed to be identified x

greenflufff

The sole reason a police officer in uniform has their numbers on their shoulders is so they can be identified and the work of the police complaints commission can be seen to be neutral.

Aberdeen Tyke

They did the same in the 1984 miners strike. This is to ensure when you get a good hiding there is no come back on the boys in blue.
Anyone who thinks Britain is a free country needs their head testing.

big owl

No they are not

rebel

by law they are not allowed to do a lot of things,but they are above the law and get away with everything,including murder.

joan k

This sounds very wrong as all Police Officers should be able to be identified. If they can hide their identity then I agree the Law should be changed. If this is allowed to continue then before long we will have a "secret Police Force" who are unaccountable.

william a

I certainly wouldn't want my family to be threatened or my property damaged by the more fanatical "protesters." I doubt the sincerity of many of the protesters anyway. They are mostly people that like to stir up the you-know-what. It is stupid for them to turn their animosity against the police anyway. The police don't want to do that particular job and may well have the same beliefs as the genuine protesters but they are paid by the taxpayers to see that the Peace is kept, so they do what they have to do.

uk_pindar

They're not supposed to but its an old trick. They did it with the miners and at the the battle of bean fields. I strongly suspect that many agent provocateurs are used at protests

Bob M

They were probably allowed to due to all the TV cameras.

Stewart R

you have answered your own question

WooAne

yes they can.

Firearms officers dont display collar numbers or names on their uniforms.

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