The Scottish public can have confidence in their constabularies whose state and efficiency is of a high order, according to Bill Skelly, HM Inspector of Constabulary, in his second annual report published today.

Mr Skelly commented: “Despite a backdrop increasingly dominated by future budget considerations, Scotland’s eight forces have remained focused on delivering a high quality service to the communities they serve. They have demonstrated that a sense of ‘local policing’ is not determined by the scale of the force, but by the focus on individual community needs and this should remain the foundation of any future considerations on policing HMICS appreciates the scale of the challenge that forces will face, and will work with them to ensure that Scotland continues to have an effective policing model for the future.”