Police pipe bands’ future under threat

Published on 22/08/2012 12:00

SCOTLAND’s police pipe bands could face the axe ahead of the move to a single force next year.

MSPs will lobby the new chief constable of the unified force to save the bands, some of which are more than 100 years old.

Assistant chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police Graham Sinclair is leading 
discussions around the future of the pipe bands as part of 
the National Police Reform Team.

He said: “Consideration is being given to the future of the force pipe bands.

“Any proposal for the future however, will have to be considered by the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority, given the implications around the funding arrangements and the naming of any police pipe bands.”

The issue has also been raised with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill by Nationalist MSPs.

Strathclyde Police’s pipe band is the most successful of all time and Lothian and Borders Police has won the world championship 20 times.

This includes ten times in 11 years in the 1980s and 1990s.