A LEAKING roof in a Renfrewshire police station is due to a lack of investment in the force, a senior figure has said. 

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank and file officers, has called for more money for urgent upgrades to Police Scotland’s estate.

SPF vice-chairman David Hamilton tweeted a video highlighting the issue, showing water “pouring through the leaking roof” at a police station in Paisley.

The footage shows more than a dozen buckets lined up, with water running in from the ceiling and over the floor.

 

Mr Hamilton cited papers to go before a board meeting of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) today which state 25% of Police Scotland’s estate is in “poor condition” and 66% is more than 40 years old.

He told the PA news agency: “The truth is that there is an insufficient budget to look after the estate.

“We just don’t have enough money as a service and the buildings are now falling apart because they are not being maintained.

“Things have to be really bad to be classified as poor – that’s a really low mark.

“This is just indicative of the lack of investment in the service.”

He said the investment problems stretch back years, prior to the formation of single Police Scotland force in 2013, and there is little the SPA can do as it requires more money from the Scottish Government.

He added: “This goes right back to the need for the Scottish Government to invest so they can deal with this.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “We inherited a policing estate which had been built up over the course of several decades and which has suffered from a historic lack of investment.

“Some buildings are no longer in the right place, operationally fit for purpose or designed in a way which allows us to work alongside key partners.

“I am grateful to officers and staff who continue to work tirelessly in challenging conditions and am committed to finding solutions that improve the environment from which we operate.”

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