Commenting on statistics on police numbers published by the Scottish Government today, Liberal Democrat Justice spokesman Robert Brown MSP said:

“These numbers give an artificial reassurance because we know from the published statements of Chief Constables across Scotland that numbers of police and support staff are going to plummet over the next few months.

“We urgently require some indication from the Justice Secretary as to the approach the Government is going to take to police numbers in financially stringent times.

“It seems highly unlikely that the SNP’s manifesto promise of 1000 extra police officers will survive to the end of the Parliament.”