UP to 100 police officers are being sent from Scotland to London to assist with the Extinction Rebellion protests.
The public order officers will work with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police responding to the climate change demonstrations.
They will be deployed from early this week after Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone approved the request from the National Police Co-ordination Centre on behalf of the Met.
Met Police chief Cressida Dick said on Friday the force has been “stretched” by the protests, impeding its ability to respond to other crimes.
Demonstrations in London have seen more than 1200 arrests.
Livingstone said it would not undermine Police Scotland’s ability to protect the public in Scotland.
He said: “Scotland has benefited from mutual aid in the past and will do so again in the future.
“It’s therefore appropriate that, as the UK’s second biggest police service, we supply officers when asked to do so by other forces.”
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