Original British Avon and Somerset Constabulary Guardian MKII Police Riot Control Helmet in Mint Condition – Dated 1998 – Formerly Part of Tower of London Yeoman Warder’s Club Collection Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This British Police riot helmet was formerly part of the Yeoman Warder’s Club Collection at the Tower of London. Please see photos for details.
 
IMA recently acquired a collection of headgear from the Yeoman Warder’s (aka “Beefeaters”) Club located at the Tower of London. The club has a strict policy of allowing only members of the Yeoman Warders and their guests entry. It has become a tradition over the years for visiting guests with any current or prior military or police service to leave one of their pieces of headgear. Over the years this collection has grown too large, leaving the Warders to liquidate the collection to IMA! Making this quite an exclusive offering!
 
In the late 1970’s a new type of helmet was introduced for dealing with public order incidents. These ‘riot’ helmets were usually issued during instances of sustained public disorder such as during the miners strike in 1984. These are often referred to as the ‘NATO’ helmets. Avon & Somerset versions of the riot helmet have ‘QP’ on the back/and or front but no chequered band. These often appear on eBay but those which retain the original Police decals are harder to find since the decals are removed on disposal. Avon & Somerset ‘QP‘ versions are rarely found for sale. Without the original Police insignia they’re of little or no interest to the collector.
 
The helmet you are looking at now is an Avon and Somerset Constabulary Guardian MK2 Riot Control Helmet, made in England by T.L.A. GRP Specialist. The helmet is offered in size 4 (60-61 cm) US 7 1/2 – 7 5/8  and is in excellent mint condition, very likely unissued or unused. The only “damage” to the helmet is that the padding for the top pad has deteriorated and the black felt pad cover with the manufacturer tag is now loose in the helmet. The only markings beside the “QP” on front and back and “POLICE” on the front, is the tag on the inside that reads:

GUARDIAN
MK2
RIOT CONTROL HELMET
MADE IN ENGLAND BY
T.L.A. GRP SPECIALIST LTD
(TEL: 01438 7262601)
 
SIZE: 4 (60-61cm)
BATCH NO: T1171
MANUFACTURER DATE: 10/98
HELMET TESTED TO
PAS 017:1995
 
*This Protective Helmet is intended to be used by Police Officers, on foot, engaged in Public Order Duties
*The Helmet offers protection from manual attack weapons and injurous and flammable liquids.
*The Helmet should not be modified in any way that has not been specifically stated as appropriate by the manufacturer.
*In order to offer maximum protection it is essential that the Helmet is the correct size for the wearer, and that the harness is adjusted and fastened correctly to give a snug all around fit.
*No solvents or paints should be used on the helmet, and only labels and emblems of the type recommended by the manufacturer should be used.
*Any Helmet that is subjected to a severe impact should be replaced, even if no damage is apparent externally.
*Please see the ‘User Information’ sheet supplied with the Helmet for additional information.
 
This is a wonderful piece of British police history and comes beautiful and ready to display!
 
Avon and Somerset Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in the county of Somerset and in four districts that used to be in the defunct county of Avon: Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
 
As of September 2020, the force has 2,965 police officers, 299 special constables, and 330 police community support officers (PCSO). The force serves 1.72 million people over an area of 1,847 square miles (4,780 km2).
 
The police area covered by Avon & Somerset Police today can trace its policing heritage back to the very start of the modern policing system. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 created municipal boroughs across England and Wales, each with the power to create a borough police force. Prior to this time ‘policing’ was largely unrecognisable from today’s system with watchmen and parish constables providing variable levels of law enforcement, if any, driven largely by magistrates. As a result of the Act the following borough police forces were created within the current Avon and Somerset Constabulary police area: Bath City Police (1836), Bristol Constabulary (1836), Bridgwater Borough Police (1836), Wells City Police (1836), Glastonbury Borough Police, Chard Borough Police (1839), and Yeovil Borough Police (1854).
 
However, outside of the new boroughs there was no modern police. Therefore, the government introduced the County Police Act 1839 which permitted county authorities to set up county forces to police areas outside of the boroughs. Following these Acts, Gloucestershire Constabulary was created in 1839 which covered what is now the north part of the current police area of Avon & Somerset Constabulary (South Gloucestershire). There was still some opposition to the new model of policing however, and rural Somerset had no police force until 1856. The County and Borough Police Act 1856 mandated that county authorities must set up a constabulary. Somerset Constabulary commenced policing the county in 1856 with Wells City Police and Glastonbury Borough Police merging into the new county force almost immediately, with Yeovil Borough Police following a year later.
 
Later in the 19th century the Local Government Act 1888 required that all boroughs with populations of less than 10,000 amalgamate their police force with the adjoining county constabulary. This signalled the end of Chard Borough Police who merged into Somerset Constabulary on 1 April 1888. In 1940, Bridgwater Borough Police voluntarily became part of Somerset constabulary, the small force having a 101-year history, with the 20 officers of the borough police becoming Somerset County officers upon merger.
 
During the 20th century the number of individual police forces across the United Kingdom was reduced across the country on grounds of efficiency. The Police Act 1964 gave the Home Secretary the power to enforce amalgamations but this was not required when Somerset Constabulary and Bath City Police voluntarily agreed to merge forming the Somerset and Bath Constabulary on 1 January 1967. This resulted in 3 police forces left covering the geographic area which is now the responsibility of Avon & Somerset Constabulary; these being Somerset and Bath Constabulary, Bristol Constabulary and Gloucestershire Constabulary covering the extreme north. This situation ended 7 years later on 1 April 1974 following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972 which created Avon and Somerset Constabulary following the amalgamation of Somerset and Bath Constabulary with Bristol Constabulary and the southern part of Gloucestershire Constabulary.