Pay-offs cost police £1.3m

VOLUNTARY redundancies at Lothian and Borders Police aimed at slashing budget costs left force chiefs with a bill for nearly £1.3 million.

A total of 92 police staff were given voluntary redundancy between April 2010 and May last year, with £1,285,491.16 paid out to departing members.

More than 300 people applied to leave under the redundancy scheme, but police chiefs ruled that only workers whose departure could be paid back in savings within two years were allowed to go.