Scotland's underfire chief constable has won front-line support after being accused of holding "secret" meetings with officers under investigation over a death in custody.

Sir Stephen House spoke to the men and women involved in restraining father-of-two Sheku Bayoh before he died in Kirkcaldy in May this year.

Aamer Anwar, the lawyer acting for Mr Bayoh's family, described the meetings as "disrespectful, disgusting and insulting”.

Sir Stephen, he said, had not met with Mr Bayoh's partner or other family members.

However, police staff associations have dismissed such criticism, stressing that it is routine for chief officers to meet colleagues involved in traumatic incidents and that such meetings are not "secret".

Sir Stephen travelled to Fife to meet one of the officers, Nicole Short, who suffered head injuries during the incident. She is currently in rehabilitation.

Chief Superintendent Niven Rennie, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, said: "We would expect the chief constable to visit a member of staff who had been hurt in such a traumatic event. We don't see anything out of the ordinary in this.

"And on welfare grounds you would always expect a chief officer, either the chief constable or one of his deputies, to speak to his or her officers."

Brian Docherty, who chairs the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Sir Stephen should be congratulated for showing his support for officers in these tragic circumstances.”

Sir Stephen is currently on holiday. Deputy Chief Constable Neil Richardson said: “The Chief Constable met with officers involved in the incident, including the officer who was injured, from a welfare perspective.”

Bayoh, a father who worked for British Gas, died on May 3 after being restrained by several officers who responded to a call out on a Kirkcaldy street.

It is understood he was handcuffed and put in leg restraints following an altercation with the officers. He died in custody after losing consciousness.

Within twenty-four hours, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) was instructed by the Crown Office to investigate the circumstances of the death.

PIRC last week submitted an interim report to the Crown. The Scottish Police Federation has already said it does not expect any of its members to face charges over the incident.

Mr Anwar, however, said that it was "theoretically" possible that one or more of the officers involved could face disciplinary action in the future over the case. And Sir Stephen, he said, therefore be responsible for judging them.

Mr Anwar said: "Sir Stephen should not, under any circumstances, have met officers in the middle of such a serious investigation."

He stressed that no attempt had been made to meet Mr Bayoh's family. He said: “The family find it disrespectful, disgusting and insulting that the chief constable has not agreed to meet them, but did meet the officers.”

Hugh Henry, Scottish Labour’s shadow justice secretary, said: "It's commendable that the Chief Constable has shown strong support for his staff who feel under pressure. But the Chief Constable also has a duty of care to the public whom he serves. In a controversial case like this, should he not also have reached out to the family of Sheku Bayoh?

“Not to have done so makes it look as though he has taken sides before the independent investigation has reached a conclusion."