THE long arm of the law has extended its reach across East Renfrewshire over the past three years, new figures show.

A report from Scotland’s Chief Statistician shows there has been a rise in the number of officers operating in ‘G division’, which takes in East Renfrewshire.

A total of 5,530 cops were in place at the end of March - up by 68 from 2014.

The increase in police numbers has been welcomed by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson.

He said: “I am very pleased to see strength in police numbers being maintained in the latest quarter and I continue to expect to see the number of police officers remaining significantly above the number we inherited in 2007.

“I’ve also been clear about the need for Police Scotland to consider the right mix of skills across the workforce and not just overall numbers, to ensure Scotland keeps pace with the changing nature of crime and of society.

“The Scottish Government has committed to protect the police resource budget for each year of this parliament and provided an enhanced £61 million reform budget for 2017/18.”

Last month, Police Scotland urged East Renfrewshire residents to have their say on how their communities should be policed.

The call was issued as a public consultation on a 10-year strategy outlining the future of policing in Scotland - Policing 2026 - got under way.

It is being developed in response to changing demands.

Mr Mathieson said: “As those who prey on our communities seek to exploit new opportunities and as the needs and vulnerabilities of our population change, so Police Scotland must embrace new approaches to keeping people safe.

“I look forward to seeing a final strategy at the end of the Policing 2026 consultation.”