Under A Vest

Police officer, Samantha Woods, 33, from Yorkshire, had no idea that her uniform would save her life...

- Rosie Crass and Lucy Bryant

Pulling on my uniform, I was getting ready for another day on patrol. I’d been in the police for nearly 18 months and so far, I was loving it.

As usual, I hauled on my stab vest, but as I did it, I noticed a slight pain in my left breast.

That’s weird, I thought.

Wearing the vest was always slightly uncomfortable, but it never usually caused any pain.

But with another busy day on the cards, I thought little more of it and carried on as usual.

And as the weeks passed, the pain seemed to linger.

‘My stab vest must be too tight,’ I confided to one of my colleagues, one afternoon.

‘Order another when we’re next in the office,’ they urged.

So, the next time I was back at my desk, I spoke to my sergeant.

To get a larger size I needed to fill out a load of paperwork and I kept putting it off.

I kept telling myself I’d do it, but I never got around to it.

Instead, I just put up with the dull ache every time I put on the vest.

Forgetting all about it, I jetted off to Krakow for a weekend break with friends, for my birthday.

I couldn’t wait for a few days of celebrations.

Some of my friends were police officers too and while we were away, the pain persisted.

I wondered if they had the same trouble.

‘Does your stab vest cause you pain as well?’ I asked, my friend Louise, 33, as we had a few drinks.