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Police Scotland has paid out a total of £60,000 to four officers who took legal action after being told to shave their facial hair.

This money was paid to four traffic officers told to shave before a force-wide policy on beards was proposed.

The force wanted to introduce a clean-shaven policy in May but the plans were postponed after staff criticism.

The proposals were intended to allow officers to wear protective FFP3 masks which require users to be clean-shaven.

It would include local frontline officers, roads policing officers, firearms and public order officers.

However, concerns were raised about the equality impact of the policy on LGBT and other officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs, who announced the plans, said there would have been some exemptions.

The Scottish Police Federation supported the four officers, who took legal action on the grounds of sex and disability discrimination.

General secretary David Kennedy told Â鶹ԼÅÄ Scotland News the situation could have been handled "a lot better".

He said: "They are extremely upset. They've had to go off sick because somebody had told them to shave, which sounds ridiculous but that's the reality of what happened.

"Right at the beginning we raised this and said there's some of our male colleagues whose families, kids don't even know what they look like without a beard and then you're asking them to change their appearance.

"It's got far-reaching consequences for them as an individual."

Mr Kennedy said he wants his members to be treated as people "not just a number".

It is understood that the four officers involved signed 90-day non-disclosure agreements about their settlements, which is why details have not emerged sooner.

Police Scotland said it was unable to comment on the settlements.

The force's postponed clean shaven policy will be reviewed next year.