People with tattoos on the front or side of their neck will be allowed to join the British Army for the first time, it has been revealed. It comes as the Government looks to make it easier for recruits to join the military amid a recruitment and retention crisis.

Rules around tattoos have previously been identified as a factor in preventing people from signing up and the services have been relaxing restrictions in recent years. Armed Forces Luke Pollard Minister confirmed there have been changes to the Army’s visible tattoo policy following a review earlier this year. He said: “Moving forwards, only tattoos on the face and front of the ear will be a bar to entry, in addition to tattoos that are deemed as offensive, obscene or racist.”

Last year, the then-Managing Director of outsourcing firm Capita, which provides recruitment services for the Army, told MPs that potential recruits were being turned away due to tattoos.

Richard Holroyd, now CEO of Capita’s Public Service division, told the Defence Select Committee that the Army’s ban on soldiers being inked above the collar and on hands meant recruiters were having to send photographic evidence to a military judgement panel.

Hand tattoos have already been permitted in the Army prior to this latest easing of the rules.

The Express understands Mr Pollard’s response reflects a small change to the Army policy language defining “visible”, allowing applicants with tattoos on the front and sides of the neck to progress through the recruiting pipeline.

“Visible” is now defined as: “Tattoos on the face or the front of the ear, that are visible on a front view passport photograph.”

Its previous definition reads as: “Visible on a front view passport photograph taken whilst the subject is wearing an open necked shirt with one button undone; that is on the face or throat area, on the front of the ear or forward of a line from the bottom of the ear to the collar bone.”

The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have their own separate policies.

The Army’s change moves it in line with the Navy’s rules which says tattoos must not be visible on front-view passport-style photos.

“E.g. not on your face, throat area or in front of your ears,” the Navy guidance says.

The RAF has similar rules in place.