Scottish police could be drafted to help maintain order in England and Northern Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit

Scottish police are on a state of alert to deal with the possibility of potential civil unrest and protests around Brexit.

The Sunday Times has learnt that the national police force has spent more than £7m on Brexit preparations so far, which has seen plans to cut the number of officers by 300 scrapped and an extra 95 police recruited.

A paper going before the Scottish Police Authority this week from deputy chief constable Will Kerr — who is responsible for Brexit planning — highlights the force’s response to possible flashpoints amid the ongoing Brexit uncertainty.

Kerr’s paper says: “Brexit is a highly contentious subject and the Brexit contingency planning team are fully aware of the potential civil unrest. Police Scotland’s Brexit intelligence officers continue