Police off track

The British Transport Police (BTP) has warned that the “seamless”policing that currently covers the UK railways could be put at risk if the force north of the Border is merged with Police Scotland (your report, 7 March).

One could be forgiven for thinking the SNP want to remove the word “British” from every organisation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government were warned four years ago that if they set up Police Scotland centrally under their control they would not be able to recover VAT but they went ahead.

This stubbornness and “we know best” attitude has cost Police Scotland well over £80 million.

Now they want to take the Scottish part of BTP into Police Scotland.

I understand that BTP does not pay VAT but if the merger goes ahead then their VAT costs as part of Police Scotland will not be recoverable.

To misquote a famous comedy duo “That’s another fine mess you’ve got us into. Nicola and Alex”.

CLARK CROSS Springfield Road, Linlithgow

The Scottish Government’s aim for all change at Berwickupon-tweed in rail network policing and Police Scotland assuming the current role of British Transport Police in Scotland may not be helped by Police Scotland saying the lessons learned from its own creation when eight forces became one would be applied to the integration.

One thing the general public has learned over the years is that lessons are never learned by public authorities.

Presumably more top jobs will be created in Scotland to rank with existing BTP arrangements and hopefully more homework on the VAT implications will be done than was carried out when the Scottish Government was creating Police Scotland.

JIM CRAIGEN Downie Grove, Edinburgh