Scotland’s cash-strapped police force has spent millions on diversity staff despite being unable to investigate all crimes due to budget cuts.

Amid plummeting public confidence in Police Scotland and senior officers being forced to make ‘hard choices’ over dwindling resources, a total of £2.4million has been spent on equality and diversity roles.

In addition, more than £200,000 has been paid to external organisations for training over the past five years.

Last year, the force said it would no longer investigate every crime reported. Under a new policy in the North-East, rank-and-file officers were told not to follow up on minor crimes such as some break-ins and thefts where there are no leads or CCTV evidence.

Police Scotland said the policy would free up time for officers to focus on responding to ‘more pressing issues’ and it stressed that ‘hard choices’ were being made in order to deliver effective policing within its stretched budget.

Critics hit out yesterday at the millions spent on diversity staff and training at a time when bodycams have not yet been rolled out to officers in Scotland.

Russell Findlay, justice spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: ‘While it’s vital Police Scotland reflects society, frontline officers deprived of basic equipment due to SNP cuts might question the millions of pounds spent in these areas.

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