Police Scotland has paid out almost £1 million to a former gun officer who took legal action against the force for being victimised by senior cops.
Former PC Rhona Malone - who worked in Bathgate and Livingston - in October last year won a tribunal against the force after shocking claims.
The tribunal ruled the culture in an Edinburgh-based armed response unit was “horrific” and a “boys club.”
After Ms Mahone's claims of victimisation were upheld, the force has now agreed to a payout of £947,909.07.
In an 'agreed statement', they said: "The Chief Constable has provided a personal apology to Ms Malone for the serious issues highlighted in the Employment Tribunal judgment, including Police Scotland’s poor response when a dedicated and promising officer raised legitimate concerns.
"The Chief Constable also emphasised his personal commitment to leading change in policing in Scotland which drives equality and inclusion to improve the experiences of all women, including our own officers and staff.
"The Chief Constable reiterates this apology and commitment.
"In the days after the judgement was issued, the Chief Constable made a commitment to commission an external police service to carry out an independent review of the Employment Tribunal decision and make any recommendations which require action by Police Scotland whether they relate to performance, conduct, or culture.
Police Scotland added the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was "finalising" it review performance, conduct, and culture.
We previously told how the tribunal ruled that Ms Malone was an "entirely credible and reliable witness" but found that evidence given by Inspector Keith Warhurst was "contradictory, confusing and ultimately incredible.
In one particular incident after mum of three Ms Malone joined the unit which only had one other female officer, Insp Warhurst said he did not want two female officers to patrol together for the "balance of testosterone" and "operational reasons".
Warhurst also posted images of topless women on the teams' WhatsApp group, and made misogynistic comments.
The tribunal heard one female officer was told by a chief firearms instructor that women should not be armed because they get periods and “this would affect their temperament”.
Ms Malone has previously said that pursuing the case had taken her family to "hell and back" and left her physically and mentally exhausted.
She said: "I loved my team and would have put my life on the line for them, but the atmosphere and environment was toxic.
"I went through a year of horrendous treatment from senior officers and false allegations."
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