The
Royal Navy will allow off-duty sailors to wear their uniforms ashore for the
first time in 30 years to help boost recruitment.
A
ban on wearing uniforms ashore was introduced in the early 70s to stop
servicemen and women becoming targets of terrorists in public places.
The
Navy, which has 37,000 personnel, hopes the move will combat falling numbers
and make it more competitive in the job market.
Second
Sea Lord Admiral, James Burnell-Nugent, said: "The pool of talented young
people from which the service can recruit is growing smaller and the
competition is increasing."
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"Using
ourselves to increase the visibility of the service will help to fill
gaps," he said.