Police officers in Scotland are having to drive "barely legal" patrol vehicles that broke down once a day on average last year, official figures have revealed.
The Scottish Police Federation claimed that one van even caught fire in recent weeks, while some vehicles aren't water tight.
Elsewhere, senior officers reported to the Scottish Government that vehicles are having to be patched up with ducktape.
The force said said 349 vehicles broke down on patrol last year, reports the Daily Record.
This is up by 100 since 2017, with figures released last month revealing that more than 250 police cars are over a decade old.
Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said: "The only thing surprising in these official figures is that they are so low. The condition of much of the fleet is nothing short of a disgrace.
"In the past few weeks we have seen a police van catch fire. Another needed a continual hand on the gearstick to ensure it didn’t jump out of gear whilst in motion, and both were incapable of keeping the rain out.
"The derisory capital funding for the service gives little hope things will improve any time soon."
He added that police were being asked to tackle unsafe vehicles while in “barely road legal” cars and vans themselves.
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