The familiar dark blue Mercedes minibuses used by Dutch riot police are being phased out for ‘less aggressive’ white ones.

The police have placed an order for 300 of the smaller white buses, at a total cost of €40m. The new buses carry eight rather than 11 people but have a holding cell on board and can be used in a more flexible way, police said.

According to news agency ANP, police have opted for white because that is the colour of other police vehicles. In addition, the white vans are less likely to generate aggression and that can help de-escalate situations on the street, ANP said.