We have asked Police Scotland to look at the whole macho culture within the firearms department

Claims of a macho culture of bullying and sexism within an elite firearms unit must be investigated, according to the Scottish Police Federation.

The national police force has been urged to mount an inquiry into the claims at a unit where 15 highly trained officers, including four women, have left in three years.

The federation, representing rank and file officers, had triggered a Professional Standards inquiry into Inspector James Law, who leads the firearms teams covering the east of Scotland. An investigation into claims he threatened officers at a briefing has now concluded and he remains in that role.

Later this month, former firearms officer Rhona Malone, 55, will tell an industrial tribunal she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) when she left the force because she was determined to see an end to bullying.

She said: “I refused to be silenced because it wouldn’t have stopped the bullying and sexist behaviour. All I wanted was to see that change.”

Malone, who became a firearms officer for seven years after more than a decade on the force, complained when her boss, Inspector Keith Warhurst, refused to allow two female officers to patrol together. She also claimed Law wrongly alleged she had acted unprofessionally by throwing down her ammunition belt.

She said: “Instead of fixing the problem, Police Scotland closed ranks against me. I felt I was the problem because I dared ask for attitudes to change. I felt alone and abandoned for speaking up against something I knew was wrong.

“Things escalated. I was signed off work with stress and applied for early retirement due to illness. It took over a year for that to be formalised and I was driven to the edge of despair.”

Instead of being on duty at the upcoming COP26 conference, she will be giving evidence in her case which could last 10 days and has already cost £60,000 in legal fees.

The former officer’s case was highlighted in a report by former Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini which criticised Police Scotland. Malone believes an independent expert should be called in to examine the reasons behind every officer who leaves before retirement age to fully investigate whether there has been any culture change. Angiolini’s

We have asked police to look at macho culture

report into police complaints, investigations and misconduct issues found a series of areas of concern, including the experience of women officers in the force.

She said: “From the large number of women in particular who have been in touch with me, the force continues to use NDAS, which basically gag anyone from speaking out. Huge amounts of public money is being used to cover up the unhealthy culture Dame Angiolini highlighted.”

David Kennedy, deputy general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “We can confirm we lodged a complaint regarding the conduct of a senior officer from the armed unit following an incident at the end of last year. We have now asked Police Scotland to look at the whole macho culture and behaviour within the firearms department. We need to examine why so many of those highly trained officers are leaving the unit.”

Police Scotland said: “A matter was reported to our Professional Standards Department and was the subject of an investigation. Inquiries have now concluded, and the officer concerned was not suspended from duty.” Responding to the Angiolini report, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM has previously said: “Discrimination of any kind is deplorable and unacceptable and I utterly condemn it.

“It has no place in society, and no place in policing. Our core values are integrity, fairness and respect and a commitment to upholding human

rights.”