£3MILLION COP OVERTIME ROW

Chief Constable reveals vast majority of officers don't end up giving evidence in court

- SARAH WARD

POLICE officers were paid up to £3million in overtime for court appearances last year but most didn't give evidence.

It comes as the Chief Constable of the force says judicial change in Scotland is not happening fast enough.

Jo Farrell described the Scottish judicial system as "very inefficient" compared with England's Crown Prosecution Service.

She said: "I've been very surprised at is the amount of money time and resources we have to dedicate around officers going being called into court to give evidence.

"We spent £3million on overtime and I would estimate a third of those officers were on rest days or annual leave.

"When they call to court, and this is a conservative estimate, only 15 per cent of them will give evidence and then they'll be called again and again. This is happening to victims and witnesses, and members of the public." imminently.

She said this would mean a focus on "frontline policing" including probes into organised crime, while reports of fraud, cyber offences and online sex abuse were expected to increase.