A POLICE officer had to use a public bus to travel to a 999 call after a child was hit by a car.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Barry Downs Holiday Park near Carnoustie, Angus, after reports a six-year-old boy had been knocked down.

Police from Carnoustie and Baluniefield in Dundee were sent out, along with an officer from Monifieth.

But while the Carnoustie and Dundee officers raced to the scene in squad cars, the Monifieth officer was forced to take a number 73 Stagecoach service bus.

A police source said the incident was down to a lack of available police cars.

Another added: “There has been a reduction of the fleet – two reductions in the last 18 months, Scotland-wide and Tayside has lost a number of marked and unmarked cars. Money is tight right now.”

Carnoustie councillor Bill Bowles said: “It seems bizarre that someone going to a 999 call has to respond on public transport.

“The officer seems to have been very lucky that a bus was passing and didn’t have to wait 20 minutes."

“I’m going to speak to the area commander.”

The incident happened earlier this month and officers were on the scene inside four minutes.

The Monifieth officer was there in nine minutes.

Angus deputy commander, Inspector Ally Robertson, of Police Scotland, said the force have enough vehicles to operate properly. He added: “The boy was taken to hospital with a damaged ankle. He had been running for the bus and hit a car
but, thankfully, he wasn’t seriously injured.



“We thoroughly encourage officers to use public transport if available and we like our community officers to be out and walking.

“We have sufficient numbers of officers and sufficient numbers of cars.”

Police Scotland insisted the incident had “nothing to do with a lack of patrol
vehicles or cutbacks”.

A spokeswoman added: “Community officers are encourage to be visible in their communities and this includes foot patrol and use of public transport.

“This did not affect on our response to the incident.”

Was the bus fitted with 'Blues and Two's'?

Very apt it being a 'Stagecoach' bus, riding the Sheriff into town!!

A lot of cost cutting going on up here
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A friend of mine who works in the Shetlands had to catch two ferries to attend an emergency burglary call, needless to say the offenders got away Three things in a blokes life his dog,his car and a Cornish pasty,nothing else matters.

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Previous cars
1973 Mini 1000
1971 Hillman Avenger
1975 Chrysler Sunbeam
1981 Ford Cortina
1985 Volvo 340
1989 VW Golf
1989 Volvo 240
1991 Volvo 240
1991 Jaguar Soveriegn
1996 BMW 730
2003 Honda CRV
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2003 Range Rover HSE Epson Green with Sand trim.

I was lucky my fire station was in mainland Argyll and when I needed special back up like say water rescue I could get it in say 2 1/2 to 3 hours and once I was the first on scene incident commander when I went to pumps 7 ( actually 9 but didn't want to go to major incident ) we didn't have seven appliances in Argyll so again fire engines were leaving Glasgow under blues and two's for over two hours to attend.
My colleges on the islands might have add a five hour ferry trip on to that , provided the ferry was available and the crew hadn't used up their working time which in reality is impossible .
Those living in England have simply no ides what it is like providing emergency services in deep rural Scotland especially any one who thinks the Barnet formula is unfair . 2008 MY Supercharged
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and no ugly kid windows.
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