COPS in Clackmannanshire were left to patrol without vital communication equipment last week as Police Scotland’s radio system crashed for almost 24 hours.

The Airwave system, which ensures police can maintain contact and call for help if required, failed on Wednesday morning.

Officers had to communicate using mobile phones as only a fraction of their radio calls were going through.

The head of the force’s information and communication technology (ICT) claimed faults with the system were rare and said an investigation would be conducted into the cause of the issue.

And while the system was back online as of Thursday morning, two officers in the Forth Valley area were assaulted during the crash.

An inside source told the Advertiser: “Police Scotland’s ‘Airwave’ radio system covering the entire Forth Valley area crashed [on Wednesday]. Only important calls were getting resourced.

“Two cops in Falkirk got a kicking at a call during the night and were unable to transmit a distress signal.

“Cops were having to communicate by mobile phones and the system was off until 10.30am on Thursday.”

The news was greeted with calls for an inquiry into the system, with Holyrood representatives seeking assurances from Police Scotland.

Alexander Stewart, Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, said: “This initially seems like an addition to a catalogue of issues with this problematic apparatus, however something as severe as this takes things to another level.

“Once again it’s a demonstration that this system is not fit for purpose, especially as lives will be put at risk, both of the public and officers alike.

“I suggest an immediate intensive investigation as to how this incident came about, along with a public assurance that it cannot happen again.”

SNP MSP Keith Brown has also contacted police chiefs to seek clarification with regards to the incident.

Force officials insist the problem did not originate from their side, but said efforts would be made to uncover its cause.

Martin Leven, director of ICT with Police Scotland, confirmed: “At around 13.05pm on Wednesday, April 19, Police Scotland was made aware of an intermittent fault in small areas of the Airwave network, which is the externally-hosted radio system used by all UK police forces and other emergency services.

“The fault was worked on by engineers throughout the day and overnight. At no point were there any faults on Police Scotland’s own infrastructure.”

He added: “Such incidents are rare; however, Police Scotland has well rehearsed and tested business continuity plans to mitigate such an incident. These were swiftly enacted to ensure minimum disruption.

“Unfortunately during the short outage, two police officers were slightly injured whilst responding to a report of a disturbance in Forth Valley Division.

“Within a few minutes, additional officers were on the scene and provided assistance. The officers received support from colleagues including senior management to ensure their welfare.

“I would like to stress the rarity of such incidents and confirm that further enquiries are being carried out to establish the root cause of the fault with the service provider.”