Officers under pressure as service of last resort for mental health patients

POLICE Scotland faces a budget overspend of £17.5 million this year, according to the body which oversees the force.

Despite falling crime, the national force is facing soaring demand as the service of last resort from everyone from Alzheimer’s patients to those with mental health issues.

It has failed to meet savings targets and found no quick fix to its biggest single outlay, the payroll.

The force’s predicted 2016-17 overspend is even bigger on its revenue budget – a total of £27.1m – but this is offset by an underspend on capital budget of £9.6m.

Yet Police Scotland has inherited buildings and IT equipment that many officers believe are not fit for purpose, with insiders warning that scaling back capital spending could actually make it harder to make future savings.

At the SNP conference last month, Scottish Police Federation (SPF) general secretary Calum Steele said the scale of the financial