Sikh police officers in Britain are pushing for the development of bulletproof turbans, which they say would allow them to work as firearms officers or riot police.

To work in those units, officers are required to wear bulletproof helmets. Due to religious rules, many Sikhs do not remove their turbans, and therefore cannot comply with the regulations, says the British Sikh Police Association.

"We are looking at the issue because it stops Sikh officers serving in all roles," Sgt. Kashmira Singh Mann, the chairman of the association, told the BBC on Friday.

"It is a frustration for them — we see our colleagues putting their lives on the line and we want to serve alongside them."

Research into developing ballistic turban material has already begun, he said.

He told the BBC that it is up to Britain's Home Office to allow British officers to wear the turbans once they are developed.

"The government wants a police service that reflects the diverse communities it serves," the Daily Telegraph quoted a Home Office spokesman as saying.

"It is down to individual forces to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the religion or beliefs of individual officers, as far as operational requirements permit."

There are currently around 2,000 Sikh officers serving in Britain.