The state of police-owned houses in the most remote parts of the country is outlined in a report obtained by the Sunday Mail.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has demanded action and warned rural communities could be left without a police presence – and fear it could lead to legal action if officers or their families get sick.
SPF chair David Threadgold said: “If I rented out a property of the standard some cops are living in, the council would be chasing me. I would almost be seen as a rogue landlord.”
Almost 100 properties are owned by the national force and are given to officers when they take jobs in rural areas such as the Highlands, Argyll and Bute, and the Scottish islands.
But Police Scotland is struggling to afford the upkeep of the properties, with officers and their families left to cope in substandard, crumbling homes affected by mould, damp and leaks – sometimes for years.
Officers have reported having to clean children’s bedrooms every day due to the amount of mould growing, buying rat traps to deal with vermin infestations and tolerating damp homes for more than a decade.
The report focuses on the inside of homes but reveals: “In Campbeltown and Lochgilphead other residents in the street informally complained at the police station about the state of properties needing painted or their grass cut.
“Communities are taking notice. If they see a rundown police building, they will expect a rundown service from the police.”
According to the report, almost all of the force’s 92 properties are below the proposed legal standard for energy efficiency, with an F rating. Bands run from A (the most efficient) to G and the Scottish Government plans to bring in laws requiring all rented properties to have a band C rating by 2028.
In England all properties must have an E rating to be legally rented. Many officers face sky-high energy bills, with dozens forking out more than £300 a month. One family received an £880 monthly energy bill due to recent price rises.
The report said some cops could only afford to heat one room and one officer told inspectors: “Heat builds fast but costs a fortune and it disappears quickly. Windows whistle and I have to clean mould spores monthly.
“I also paint once a year to cover areas which have been regularly cleaned as the paint lifts too. We have to heat the house more than we can afford to as we have a toddler. We need to heat the house for him and it helps ward off the damp.”
Threadgold said: “It goes beyond individual officers. Some have their partners also in the police but others have moved to rural
locations to support the police officer in the family and are having to live in substandard accommodation.”
Officers told the SPF when they report issues to the force’s estates team, repairs were either not carried out, took too long or were done to a poor standard, leading to the problems returning.
One officer said: “Workmen have come from the mainland in an attempt to repair our boiler but were unable to fix it. They said the electrics in the house should be condemned.”
Another officer said: “I had a rat in the house causing lots of damage. I reported it to estates but no action was taken.”
Threadgold said the findings showed a “lack of investment in police accommodation” from before Police Scotland was formed in 2013 and in subsequent years. The Sunday Mail previously reported how the force was facing a £74million budget black hole this year.
Outgoing Chief Inspector Sir Iain Livingstone has regularly clashed with the Scottish Government, accusing ministers of repeated underfunding. SPF boss Threadgold said the issue could make it more difficult to attract officers to work in remote locations.
He said: “Police Scotland needs to deliver a service to rural communities, it has to. To do that requires the
posting to be attractive, not only in the rural policing element but also in the accommodation provided.”
The SPF report states: “If officers were unable to remain in those houses due to their structural condition and without an alternative, it may mean the service in that area being lost.”
It also highlights that the force is leaving itself open to legal action. The report states: “There is a potential reputational, financial and legal risk in the event of anyone in occupation of the properties developing a medical condition as a result.”
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, of Local Policing North, said: “The welfare of officers and their
families is a priority and all properties have been assessed and graded, with those requiring the most urgent
attention actioned first. A dedicated team is working through the list of houses as quickly as resources allow.”
Police Scotland is now buying new-builds to avoid spending significant sums of money on old buildings.
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