Hong Kong police chiefs are cracking down on fashion-conscious female officers who colour their hair blonde.
Four Hong Kong women police officers face disciplinary action after breaching new rules which say that hair must remain its natural colour.
It has become fashionable for young Asians to dye their hair from dark brown or black to blonde, red or purple. In the bigger cities in China, it is not unusual for students and young office workers to brighten their hair. Often the image change is undertaken at home, with hair product companies doing big business in the DIY hair dye market.
The four policewomen who defied orders by colouring their hair are under internal investigation, a police spokeswoman confirmed yesterday. The case is the first following the introduction of the new code in January.
The women's divisional commander, Supt Lai Po-ting, spotted the officers dyed locks when she went to the San Uk Leng illegal immigrants holding centre on January 26th. Supt Lai yesterday confirmed the officers would face a disciplinary investigation.
"I intended to make a Lunar New Year greeting when I made the visit that day but something unhappy turned up", Supt Lai told the South China Morning Post. "I did not want to take action, but as their superior I could not ignore it. I think there was sufficient time for them to remove the dye and they should have done it immediately after they were told."
The Chairman of the Local Inspectors' Association, Mr Tony Liu Kit-ming, said he supported in principle the new rules to maintain a proper image for the force. But he added: "I'm just concerned about marginal cases. For example, would henna treatment be allowed? What if the officers just dyed one or two per cent of their hair? There should be some clarity in the enforcement."
The new dress code also forbids male officers from wearing earrings on duty. The new Hong Kong Police Commissioner, Mr Tsang Yam-pui, introduced the rule this year saying he wanted to go with the natural look.