'Outdated' ink and paper used to collect fingerprints in some police stations

Police in the UK have been using fingerprints in their work for about 125 years

Watchdogs have criticised Police Scotland for using traditional ink and paper for taking fingerprints at some of its stations due to a lack of electronic scanners.

The technique, which in UK policing goes back about 125 years, was still in use by officers based in Fort William, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.

In a report, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland said ink and paper was "outdated" and there was a risk of mistakes due to poor quality prints.

Police Scotland said electronic fingerprint machines were being introduced to Lerwick in Shetland, Stornoway in the Western Isles and Kirkwall in Orkney.

Custody centres in Inverness and Wick have electronic fingerprinting machines called Live Scan.

The devices digitally capture a person's finger and hand impressions, and officers can immediately start cross referencing the prints with databases.

But the watchdogs said other sites did not have the machines and were instead "relying on traditional, and somewhat outdated, ink and paper processes".

The report said: "Although a long-established procedure, the process is more laborious, requiring the manual collection of impressions that are thereafter mailed to a checking centre often taking days to be processed."

It added: "The approach is prone to error and poor quality impressions.

"It does not afford the significant benefits associated with the Live Scan, which enables officers to immediately and confidently identify detainees who either fail to disclose or deliberately seek to conceal their identity."

'Enhancing provision'

Ch Supt Chris Stewart, of Police Scotland's criminal justice services division, said the force was taking action following the inspection.

"We take the findings of this report seriously and the recommendations will form part of a comprehensive ongoing review of custody resourcing, processes and our estate aimed at enhancing custody provision across Scotland," he said.

"We are already introducing electronic fingerprint machines into custody facilities in Lerwick, Stornoway and Kirkwall."

He added: "Our primary custody centre in Inverness, which provides a dedicated round-the-clock service for the Highlands and Islands, has electronic fingerprint capability."

Britain's first fingerprint bureau was set up in 1901 at Scotland Yard in London.

Glasgow City Police established Scotland's first fingerprint and photographic department in 1931.