Holyrood to hear police allegations

Justice secretary Michael Matheson is set to face questions in the Scottish Parliament today following claims Police Scotland suppressed allegations of serious corruption.

It was claimed in a BBC Scotland documentary, screened last night, that former chief constable Sir Stephen House sought to remove the allega- tions from a report commissioned in 2014.

Earlier drafts of the confidential report are said to have shown the chief constable’s office wanted negative comments deleted, tenses changed to suggest problems had been fixed, and an entire section, where frontline officers describe working in a culture of fear, removed.

Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary said: “The allegations in this investigation are extremely serious and shocking.

“If true, this is evidence that the chief constable of Police Scotland intentionally misled the Scottish Government and the general public about working practices at Police Scotland. I have tabled an urgent question demanding a full and detailed response from the justice secretary and the Scottish Government.”