A memo has been sent around to the police officers in Russia warning them not to alter their uniforms any further.

The Moscow Times is reporting that police in Russia have gotten a telling off as a result of their uniforms getting too many alterations, which for women has meant that their hemlines keep getting higher, while men have been cutting the sleeves off their shirts to give the guns some exposure.

A memo was sent around by Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Gerasimov to all heads of departments as a result, which newspaper Izvestia got their hands on and published. In the memo, Gerasimov noted that things had gotten out of hand, and that the appearance of the uniform was crucial as "when you meet people, the first thing you see is their clothing".

In this picture, snapped by Luba Shul, you might get an idea of just how much uniform alteration has been going on and why Gerasimov thought there needed to be some action taken. 

Mikhail Pashkin, chairman of the coordination council of the police officers' union, responded and complained that the problem was actually to do with the lack of dressing rooms and facilities for officers to get changed in. When pressed on the hemlines issue, he said there was no reason to complain, adding "perhaps the girls want to get married. Incidentally, they are thinking about the demographic situation".

Via The Moscow Times and Huffington Post. Main pic via Luba Shul on Twitter