PODCAST: Inverness cops’ ‘restraint’ despite being ‘spat at and verbally abused’ as MSP calls for more prison spaces after joining Police Scotland on patrol

It is not everyone’s idea of a perfect Friday night but MSP Edward Mountain wanted to find out what pressures Police Scotland’s officers are operating under so he shadowed them on patrol.

“What I did see was two police officers dealing with a particularly difficult situation where the person who'd been arrested was causing problems in the back of a police van,” he said.

• Read the full story: Abuse of Inverness police officers leads MSP to call for more prison space

“I have to say, I was incredibly impressed by the way they dealt with it and the restraint that they showed, even when they were being spat at and verbally abused. I think it's really hard for a police officer to do that and show the restraint they did”.

He added: “I think I would have struggled but I was seriously impressed”.

Find out what he discovered about the experience of officers in Inverness on a typically lively Friday evening.