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Police Scotland have been accused of running a fleet of vehicles that includes old bangers with more than 200,000 miles on the clock patched up with second-hand parts.

A whistleblower said the force are using patrol cars more than 12 years old and are operating with hundreds that can take only three people, despite being designed for five.

The Record can reveal 300 new Peugeot 308s are being brought into the fleet, despite not being insured to carry more than three people.

Other worrying claims include cars with bald tyres that would result in fines if the drivers were pulled over by transport police.

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We were sent evidence of a damaged vehicle’s suspension being repaired with clearly well used spares.

The whistleblower said: “We are seeing cars with more than 200,000 miles on the clock still running, which would never have happened 10 years ago, and these would include patrol cars that could conceivably be asked to be involved in high-speed chases.

“There are managers at the nine Police Scotland workshops who make decisions on how much can be spent on repairs and this will often lead to second-hand parts being fitted at local external garages.

“The bare minimum is being done, to keep the car on the road.

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“Small, independent bodyshops are being given a budget to cheaply fix some cars not deemed worth fixing by a reputable bodyshops using brand new parts.”

The source said part of the problem related to a failure to properly invest by the previous eight regional forces as they approached abolition.

He claimed many cars are in such a poor state of repair it is costing more to fix them than they would fetch at auction.

Photos sent to the Record show a car that was involved in a collision, which caused suspension damage.

The car was fixed using a second hand subframe, wishbone arm, shock absorber assembly, bumper and wing – all sourced by the force’s bodyshop UK accident assist in Edinburgh.

It was revealed earlier this year that a bungle had led to cars being ordered that would exceed insureable limits if more than three heavy officers plus equipment were on board.

The source said: “What happens if two police officers are in a car and there are two offenders carrying out a robbery?

“Will they just lift the lightest one and let the other one off with a stern warning?”

(Image: Daily Record)

Police Scotland admitted second hand parts may be used after an “independent assessor” makes a decision. Around £5million is being spent in 2018-19 on new cars, with 300 ordered.

When asked about cars which cannot carry more than three people, a spokesman said: “After carrying out a risk assessment, the current patrol vehicle of a Peugeot 308 or 3008 meets the Police Scotland criteria.”

Asked about second hand parts, the spokesman said: “No safety related second hand parts are fitted to our vehicles, but we do recycle parts with other UK police forces for items such as doors, mirrors etc.”

(Image: Daily Record)

He admitted cars with mileages in excess of 200,000 are still on the go. In response to claims about bald tyres, the force said: “It is part of an officer’s daily duty to check the vehicle for tyres, lights etc and report the defect to the fleet department for a quick repair turnaround.”

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “The age profile of our vehicles has reduced significantly since the creation of Police Scotland. The safety of our fleet will not be compromised at any time due to cost. Service level agreements are also in place with remote and local garages as and when required.”