Covid in Scotland: More than 1,000 coronavirus-related attacks on police

More than 1,000 assaults on police in the past year involved spitting or coughing or were otherwise linked to coronavirus, analysis suggests.

Police Scotland said assaults increased overall by 6.3% in 2020-21 compared with the previous year, with 6,942 attacks recorded on officers and staff.

Of these, 1,087 were Covid-related after analysts searched for case keywords such as "spit" and "cough".

However, the figure could be higher with no data available from four areas.

Police Scotland said there were currently no coronavirus-related assault figures from the Borders, Edinburgh, Highland or Tayside divisions.

The largest number of coronavirus-related incidents were recorded in the Greater Glasgow area, where 336 incidents were recorded. Lanarkshire recorded the next highest at 228 incidents.

Police Scotland said reported assaults against officers were up 18% on the five-year average, with 413 more recorded this year compared with the year before.

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: "Officers and staff stepped forward to help combat the spread of the virus, conducting in excess of 120,000 interactions with members of the public to explain rapidly changing guidance, encourage everyone to do the right thing and enforce the law where required.

"Officers and staff work with dedication and a commitment to helping people and violence and abuse against them is utterly deplorable and unacceptable. It is not simply part of the job and will not be tolerated."

Police Scotland said it has undertaken extra safety training in the past year, introducing new techniques and de-escalation tactics to combat the mounting levels of violence and abuse against officers.

Ms Taylor called it a "concerning trend", adding: "There is also a cost to the public purse through days lost to ill health or personal injury claims."

The force also said all armed officers would now be equipped with body-worn video cameras, after nearly 9,000 people said in a survey the kit would increase trust and confidence in policing.

This summer, another consultation on body-mounted cameras for more officers and staff across Scotland will be launched.

In addition, the force said more officers would be supported and trained in how to use Tasers.