Police Scotland officers worked a million hours of overtime

The pandemic and the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow were factors in increased overtime hours

Police Scotland officers worked more than a million hours of overtime last year - double the previous 12 months, according to new figures.

Officers worked 1,074,545 hours of overtime in 2021-22, compared to 464,049 hours the previous year.

Police Scotland said the Covid pandemic and the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow were factors in the increased hours.

The figures emerged as the Scottish Police Federation remains locked in a dispute with the force over pay.

It said the information did not show the "tens of thousands" of additional hours worked which were not claimed by officers.

The data was revealed through a freedom of information request by the Scottish Conservatives.

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Party justice spokesman, Jamie Greene, said the hours worked demonstrated the "dedication" of officers.

He added: "This hard work is now being endangered by an SNP government who have insulted police officers with a derisory pay offer."

"That has left officers with no choice but to withdraw their goodwill."

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The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file officers, recently rejected a 3.4% pay rise.

Police officers by law cannot strike, but the federation said the "goodwill" of staff had been withdrawn.

This means officers have refused to start shifts early and no longer take radios home.

SPF general secretary Calum Steele said this week that it would be "foolhardy" to lay out what other tactics would be employed.

In a statement issued following the release of the overtime figures, the SPF said: "Any service that needs to rely on overtime to survive is clearly under resourced.

"Claimed and paid overtime is but one small indicator of the sheer level of additional work performed by officers. Beyond overtime claimed for payment, officers also work additional hours for time back. "These numbers however do not show the tens of thousands of additional hours provided through the sheer goodwill of officers which were simply never claimed before. "As police officer numbers are now at their lowest in almost 15 years, it is inevitable fewer officers will carry greater burdens, and face greater risk as a result."

'Deeply grateful'

Official data shows there were 17,117 full-time equivalent officers employed by the force at the end of 2021.

This number fell to 16,805 in March this year.

Police Scotland said increased absence through the pandemic, training delays and increased retirals had left staffing levels lower than expected.

A spokesperson said: "Across the country, officers and staff are working incredibly hard to maintain effective policing for all our communities and the organisation is deeply grateful for their hard work.

"It is important our people are rewarded for work in line with their terms and conditions."

The Scottish government said officer numbers were favourable compared to elsewhere in the UK - with around 32 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland, and around 23 in England and Wales.

A spokesperson added: "Police officer pay has been negotiated for many years through the Police Negotiating Board, which includes Police Officer Staff Associations, the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland, and the Scottish government.

"The PNB process is ongoing in relation to pay for 2022/23, and we await the outcome of those discussions."