IT'S A new state-of-the-art body armour that protected Fareham police officer PC Bennett when he was held hostage at knifepoint at the Gosport Road siege on Tuesday.

Although the 52-year-old was unharmed in the three-hour ordeal that saw him held up in a house with a knife wielding Gosport man - he was wearing the new robust vest and it could have saved his life if he was attacked.

The HG1 model police body armour was coincidentally rolled out for more than 400 Solent East police officers this week.

Its designed to protect them from knife attacks, ballistic threats, hypodermic needles and blunt trauma threats.

In an age where police are more at risk from attacks on the street it's a vital piece of the police officer's uniform and will be worn at all times.

The kit is being rolled out nationwide and has already been distributed in Winchester.

Fitters from the armour manufacturers, Aegis, have already issued more than 200 vests at Gosport police station so far this week.

PC Ludvik Stempien, of Gosport police, who is supervising the fittings, said: "It's something that we now need and it's going down well with all those that have been issued with it so far."

He added: "I think it would have given confidence to the officers involved in the siege at Gosport Road the other night."

A risk assessment carried out by Hampshire Constabulary showed that officers nowadays are more likely to come up against attacks from blunt weapons and the new HG1 armour was chosen over the old HG1A model for this very reason.