Eastwood's MSP has called for the recruitment of more police officers in East Renfrewshire, following a 15-year low in 2023.

Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Conservative MSP, urged the Scottish Government to hire nearly 20 more local officers to support the "heroic" police force already based within East Renfrewshire.

This demand follows new data showing a five per cent increase in recorded crime across Scotland between December 2022 and December 2023.

To address the rise in offences and the need for more officers, the Scottish Conservatives proposed hiring 1000 new officers in Scotland.

East Renfrewshire would receive a proportionate share of this total, welcoming 18 new officers.

Mr Carlaw previously raised concerns about reports of anti-social behaviour in the Maidenhill area of Newton Mearns, which included cases of fire within the primary school and nursery grounds.

He said: "In various parts of Newton Mearns such as Maidenhill, there have been hugely concerning reports of anti-social behaviour and such disruption has no place in our local communities.

“In East Renfrewshire, we have a heroic team of police officers who always go the extra mile to investigate reports of potential criminal incidents and provide outstanding support to local residents including the handling of previous incidents in Maidenhill.

“To support our highly professional, dedicated and hard-working police team in East Renfrewshire, Scottish Conservatives have brought forward proposals that would result in the recruitment of nearly 20 new local officers.

“This would boost the number of police officers available in East Renfrewshire to tackle key law and order problems such as anti-social behaviour.

“I urge the Scottish Government to seriously engage with our plans to boost the policing workforce.”