Grievance lodged against new Police Scotland chief constable Jo Farrell

The complaint was made by the most senior civilian member of her own leadership team

Chief constable Jo Farrell. Photo Credit: Allan Bovill

Police Scotland is under renewed pressure after it emerged the most senior civilian member of its leadership team has lodged a grievance against the force’s new chief constable.

David Page, the deputy chief officer at Police Scotland, who has responsibility for corporate support, is reported to have made the complaint about Jo Farrell within weeks of her starting in October. He is currently on sick leave.

The complaint is now being dealt with by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), which oversees the force.

Asked about the issue in Holyrood, Angela Constance, the SNP justice secretary, told journalists: “I’m confident that we have good leadership at a senior level in Police Scotland.”

Ms Farrell – who was previously chief constable of Durham Constabulary – has already endured a difficult start to her time in the top job. In November, she apologised after using a police car to take her home to England when her train was cancelled during Storm Babet.

Politicians called for transparency over the latest row, which was first reported by the Edinburgh Reporter.

Tory MSP Russell Findlay said: “Since being created by the SNP government a decade ago, Police Scotland has often been accused of lacking transparency which is unhealthy, unhelpful and undermines public confidence. All public bodies have a duty to be candid about such important issues and I would urge ministers, Police Scotland and the SPA to come clean about exactly what is going on.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur said: "The early years of the single national force were dogged by errors and a revolving door at senior level, all of which risked undermining the hard work of officers and staff. Police Scotland must not slip back into bad old habits.

"This grievance must be swiftly resolved so that the senior leadership team are all pulling in the same direction.

"At a time when the police are having to do more with less, those at the top cannot afford to be distracted from the challenges of keeping communities safe and supporting officers and staff."

Mr Page spent a decade in military intelligence before later working in the financial sector. He joined Police Scotland as its deputy chief officer in 2016.

Ms Farrell is the first woman to lead the force in Scotland. She previously said the Storm Babet incident was an “error of judgment”. According to reports, she was accompanied in the car by Gary Ridley, the chief finance officer for Durham Constabulary, who was giving unpaid advice and was also driven home.

“With my usual police vehicle unavailable, I asked my office for a car to drive me home,” Ms Farrell told an SPA meeting last year. “A colleague who had been visiting Police Scotland was also driven home in the same vehicle.

“Having a road policing vehicle redirected to carry out this journey was an error of judgment. I apologise unreservedly to my colleagues, to the authority and to the public.”

Speaking to journalists in Holyrood, Ms Constance said she could not discuss operational police matters.

Asked for comment, Police Scotland said it was a matter for the SPA.

A spokeswoman for the SPA said: “The authority does not confirm or comment on this type of enquiry. Any complaints or concerns of that nature would be confidential.”