Police Scotland has apologised after lone women were forced to walk through a park in complete darkness following road closures linked to COP26 in Glasgow.
Dozens of women said they feared for their safety as some were sent on 90 minute diversions despite only being yards from their destination.
One woman said the walk left her in "tears" while another claimed a police officer offered to escort a lone female through the park while calling her 'darling' and 'sweetheart'.
US President Joe Biden and other world leaders headed to Kelvingrove Museum last night for a COP26 reception hosted by Prince Charles on behalf of the Royal Family following the first day of negotiations at the climate summit.
A ring of steel was erected around the area but police refused to install walkthroughs for local residents to reach their homes and instead diverted women, children and elderly residents through the park.
One woman said: "I felt very teary walking through the park. We were told there was a heavy police presence inside but that wasn't true.
"One police officer was actually very abrupt and spoke about arresting people trying to get home because they were getting a lot of people complaining. It wasn't a good experience particularly when the conversation is around women's safety.
"Kelvingrove Park should be lit up at all times. There was no consultation about those diversions in place while the dinner was going on. Police and the council should do more than apologise quite frankly."
Another woman said: "My sister was forced to walk through the park. She never normally sets foot in it at night and despite knowing the area well she was pretty lost, especially finding gates that were closed as she reached them and having to go back in.
"It seems like a pretty unacceptable planning oversight that this became a major diversion. Knowing the reputation of that park I was clearly not the only woman on the end of the phone hearing about this."
Eilidh Paterson was forced to make the detour to get to her home in Partick.
She said: "As women, we are constantly told to avoid the park at night.
"That it's dark, unsafe and that we would be partly to blame if something happened to us walking through it.
"To be told by the police that our only option last night was to walk through the place we're always told to avoid, I felt extremely unsafe and vulnerable.
"All because we couldn't cross the road to go home. All for a fancy dinner.
"Is my safety less important than someone having a nice dinner?"
Police Scotland said the move followed "real-time changes to operational plans on Monday night" and apologised for the concerns caused.
Another wrote on Twitter: "Wow, Finnieston residents currently on the north side of the street who live on the south side of the street being told to walk through Kelvingrove, down Byres Road to Patrick and then back to Finnieston to get to their flat 100 yards away. It's dark."
Another said: "I know that £COP26 is a big logistical challenge but I've just heard first hand that women on foot on their own are being diverted and directed to walk through Kelvingrove Park alone in the pitch black because Argyle St / Dumbarton Rd is closed? Not safe.
"These are commuters on everyday journeys who have had to change their routes because of disruption.
"Sounds like plans need a rethink. It's getting dark earlier. The park isn't an alternative option after dark."
Annie Wells, a Tory MSP for Glasgow, said: "My heart goes out to the women who have voiced their distress at feeling unsafe walking home at night.
"Women's safety cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
"It's totally unacceptable for people to feel afraid because they're being forced to walk through potentially dangerous routes in the pitch-black.
"I urge Police Scotland and the local council to immediately act so that nobody is forced down badly lit paths where they fear for their safety."
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Residents were diverted on their way home, including on foot through Kelvingrove Park, following real-time changes to operational plans on Monday night.
“While late changes and some level of disruption is inevitable when policing an event the size and scale of COP26, we understand and apologise for the concern these changes caused and for the inconvenience to those diverted.
“We do, in particular, recognise and acknowledge the commentary from some women who had to walk through the park on their own last night, we want to keep everyone safe and we know that the onus is on us to recognise when we could provide some more support and visibility to reassure people in our communities.
“The diversion is no longer in place and there are no plans to reintroduce it. Should further diversions be required at short notice for operational purposes, we will look to establish additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.
"We will work with Glasgow City Council to consider whether lighting in Kelvingrove Park can be improved."
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "We have been working very hard to let people know about the restrictions that are in place for the climate change conference so that they can plan ahead and work around the security measures.
“For on the ground, operational reasons, Police Scotland changed the diversions at short notice last night (Monday 1 November) and diverted members of the public through Kelvingrove Park. Police Scotland has apologised for the concern and inconvenience caused by these last minute changes.
"We'd identified an alternative route on the back of the original restrictions via the park to lessen the impact on the public with four additional lighting rigs installed and we understand that members of the public might have taken other routes that we couldn't have predicted.
“We make every effort to make sure that residents and businesses are told about restrictions well in advance. Whenever we are notified of changes they are posted on social media, as they were last night. The Get Ready Glasgow website is also regularly updated.”
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