Anas Sarwar has promised a dedicated “community and crime prevention officer” in each of Scotland’s 355 council wards as part of a major shake-up of policing under a Scottish Labour government.

The party leader said he believed a raft of constables could be freed up , in part by reducing the number of Police Scotland staff on sick leave, and through cutting the amount of time officers spend in courts, hospitals and on mental health call-outs.

The plan — announced on Saturday at the party’s Scottish Policy Conference in Edinburgh — was welcomed by the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers.

David Kennedy, the general secretary, said it would be “very achievable, as long as we have the proper funding in place for the police service”.

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