Police Scotland have been urged to reassess their priorities after turning up mob-handed to a minor incident while taking almost two hours to attend a serious assault.
Fife councillor Tom Adams criticised the force after he and a number of former Tesco colleagues were asked to leave a hotel after a function to mark the closure of the supermarket’s Kirkcaldy store.
Eight officers arrived to order the group out of the hotel room where they had gathered for a chat and a late drink after the event finished downstairs.
Yet, just two weeks previously it took the force more than an hour and a half to respond to frantic calls for help when a man was being viciously attacked on a Kennoway street.
Mr Adams, who is chairman of Levenmouth area committee and vice-chairman of the licensing board, said he was disgusted at what he called the police’s lack of priorities.
“Here we were sitting having a quiet drink and a chat in a room and suddenly eight police turned up telling us to get out,” he said.
“We weren’t doing any harm but someone called the police because we’d all gone upstairs and a whole load of them turned up immediately.
“They told us we weren’t allowed to drink in the room, which is a load of rubbish.”
The councillor decided to speak out after chairing a public meeting in Kennoway last week where locals complained about a lack of police action against ongoing antisocial behaviour in the village.
There was particular outrage about the time it took to respond to the assault at the end of March, despite at least three 999 calls from the public.
“They’ve got it all wrong and the chief constable really needs to take a long hard look at the force and get the priorities right,” said Mr Adams.
“They need to get more officers in places where they’re needed and stop harassing innocent folk.”
Police have insisted their response was appropriate.
A spokeswoman said: “Police in Fife were called to a hotel in Abbotshall Road, Kirkcaldy, at around 1.30am on Sunday April 12, following reports that an unknown number of people were refusing to leave the premises. Police attended and the incident was resolved peacefully.
“Tackling antisocial behaviour is a key priority for Police Scotland.
“The circumstances of this incident have now been reviewed by senior officers and the response is considered appropriate.”