Bulletproof Bras Issued to German Police

A bulletproof bra has been issued to women police in Germany to offer a second line of defence if they are shot on duty.

The underwear is designed to be worn under a bulletproof vest to better absorb a gunshot. More than 3,000 frontline officers are being encouraged to swap to safer lingerie.

Carmen Kibat, the female officer who came up with the idea, told the BBC: "The impact of a bullet can push the metal and plastic bits of the bra into an officer's body, causing serious injury.

"I always thought normal bras posed a safety risk and I wanted to change that," said Kibat, who is an adviser on equal opportunities for the Bundespolizei, Germany's federal police force.

The bras, which have been tried by dozens of officers, do not contain underwiring, metal or plastic studs, or fasteners. They are white, thickly padded and made from cotton or polyester, with the word Politzei across the bottom.

Officers will be allowed to pick from three bras of different designs.