Force faces 500 compensation claims from public and own officers

Police Scotland are facing more than 500 compensation claims from their own staff and the public

The cases span the length and breadth of the country with more than half the total relating to incidents involving police vehicles, such as road accidents and damage to other vehicles.

A legal source said the figures, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, “showed the magnitude of allegations of wrongdoing against Police Scotland and its officers”.

In total, the force faced 530 claims across areas of employer, public and motor liability.

More than a one in five relate to the force’s largest division in terms of number of officers, G Division in Glasgow.

But the cases cover all the divisions across the country, from Dumfries and Galloway, which faces nine claims, to Highlands and Islands, with 32.

The source added: “The cases relate to employer liability, include claims over accidents at work, public liability, covering issues where members of the public may have been injured in a police station or by officers and motor liability, including crashes involving police vehicles.”

In Glasgow division, 15 cases relating to police officers and other members of staff were ongoing for the period at the end of March which the information covers.

A further 43 claims from members of the public and 50 cases relating to motor liability were filed against G Division. More than half the total overall are driving related.

We told in January how police paid a sum in excess of £100,000 to a man wrongly jailed after police mistook him for someone else.

Gary Webb, 60, who has no criminal convictions, was arrested and then spent a weekend in prison before police and prosecutors realised he was a completely different person from their suspect.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland is the second largest police service in the UK. Our 23,000 officers and staff work in challenging circumstances, but always with the aim of improving the lives of the public.

“Any compensation claim is dealt with on a case by case basis and with a view to securing best value for the public purse.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said the force had offered an “unreserved apology” to Mr Webb.