POLICE coverage in the Borders has been “seriously diluted” since the inception of a single Scottish force in 2013.

That was the claim of retired police inspector Harry Scott from Galashiels after observing this month’s meeting of the Scottish Borders Police, Fire and Safer Communities Board.

And Mr Scott, who served in the town for 21 years and retired in 1999, has called on SBC councillors on the board to subject Police Scotland to “robust scrutiny and challenge”.

“Police coverage in the Borders has been seriously diluted since the creation of Police Scotland and there has been a litany of complaints about the standard of service provided,” Mr Scott told the Border Telegraph.

“The whole area is sometimes policed by as few as 12 officers instead of the average of one sergeant and three to six constables in each of the six inspector-led areas of the former Lothian and Borders Police area.

“While it is good news reported crime is down, that is more likely due to cars and other property being more difficult to steal and houses more difficult to break into because of improved technology and anti-theft measures.

“The public is not daft and we all know that many crimes are simply not reported because of the perception the police are either too busy or short-staffed to adequately respond.

“Yet councillors on the board seemed happy to accept the clichéd reassurances from Police Scotland about its performance when they should be asking about day-to-day staffing levels and response times to emergency calls and other calls for assistance from the public.

“Where there is an inordinate delay in responding, councillors should be demanding to know why.

“They should also be asking if Police Scotland has a policy of not attending certain classes of reported crime and, if so, how many offences are dealt with in this matter.

“The police do an excellent job within the parameters of their resources and understandably fear that being candid about the real challenges they face will give succour to criminals.

“But it is surely the role of councillors, acting on our behalf, to subject the force to robust scrutiny and challenge.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "We remain committed to ensuring that the communities of the Scottish Borders receive the highest standard of policing.

"The area currently has access to 3329 available police officer resources, however we do not comment on the number of officers on duty in an area at a specific time for operational reasons.

"Engagement with our communities remains of the utmost importance to us and we continue to have very positive relationships with people who live and work in the Scottish Borders. Local officers regularly attend events in the community and schools to provide inputs and advice and we maintain strong working relationships with partners in the area.

"Each report of crime which is received by Police Scotland is assessed based on the information provided and actioned as appropriate. Calls have to be prioritised and if it is not assessed that resources are required as a matter of urgency, an appointment can be made to visit the caller at a time which is convenient to them."