Leaders clash at FMQs over police funding in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon and Jackson Carlaw debated the issue of police funding at First Minister's Questions

Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Conservatives interim leader Jackson Carlaw have clashed over police funding at First Minister's Questions.

Mr Carlaw highlighted the condition of Scottish police stations as evidence of insufficient investment.

Ms Sturgeon said it was Mr Carlaw's party that was guilty of underfunding police services in the UK.

It follows a report in the Courier that a ceiling collapsed in Broughty Ferry police station on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident came hours after Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf told Holyrood that it was "unhelpful" to use "hyperbole" to say police stations were "falling apart."

Scottish Police Authority vice-chairman David Crichton previously claimed that there was a "structural deficit" in the policing budget.

The ceiling collapsed at Broughty Ferry police station on Tuesday

Last week, Scottish Police Federation vice chairman David Hamilton posted video footage of leaking roofs and windows in police stations in Paisley and Pitlochry.

Questioning Ms Sturgeon, Mr Carlaw said: "Water pouring in through ceilings and windows, mushrooms growing in the carpets and rats scurrying about the mouldy floors.

"What word would the first minister use to describe the state of some of Scotland's police stations?"

Mr Carlaw called on the first minister to use additional funds released by the UK government to "improve the environment" for police officers to work in.

VAT charge

The first minister said Mr Carlaw had "something of a nerve" to raise the issue.

She said: "Let me just remind Jackson Carlaw and the chamber that it was indeed the Conservative Party that reduced the resource budget of this government by £1.5bn, that's 5% in real terms, since 2010.

"It's also the Conservatives who have robbed the Scottish police service of £125m in VAT that should never have been claimed."

Ms Sturgeon said that the annual budget for policing in Scotland had increased by more than £80m, bringing it to £1.2bn this year.

She added: "The capital budget of the service has increased in this year alone by 52% to support the roll-out of mobile technology."