SNP MINISTERS URGED TO ACT AMID SURGE IN HIT AND RUNS

by BILL HEANEY

SNP ministers have been warned they must “properly resource” Police Scotland – as new figures revealed a significant increase in the number of hit-and-run offences.

Official statistics published by Police Scotland show that the number of incidents recorded as ‘RTC – hit and run’ has risen dramatically from 1,652 in 2023 to 4,726 as of June this year.

One of the worst of these involved cyclist Tony Parsons, right, a retired employee at the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane on the Gareloch.

Twin brothers who left a charity cyclist to die on a Highland roadside after hitting him with their truck before hiding his body in a pit were jailed for a total of 17 years and three months.

Alexander McKellar, 31, was driving the vehicle at high speed under the influence of alcohol when it struck 63-year-old former navy officer Anthony Parsons late at night on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute, in September 2017.

He then covered up the crime for more than three years with the help of his brother Robert, who was in the passenger seat.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how both men fled the scene before returning in another vehicle and later burying Mr Parsons’ body in a shallow grave on the nearby Auch Estate where they lived and worked as farmhands.

Robert McKellar was sentenced to five years and three months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to trying to defeat the ends of justice.

Ruth McQuaid, Procurator Fiscal for the High Court, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “These brothers failed in their attempts to obstruct and evade justice. These were heinous and calculating crimes which brought untold distress to Mr Parsons’ wife, children, and grandchildren.  ”

This Labour appeal comes after the country’s chief statistician released data indicating that crime in Scotland has risen by 7% over the last year.

SNP ministers have allowed police officer numbers to fall significantly, with 16,402 full-time equivalent officers at the end of June.

Scotland has lost more than 800 officers in the last decade, with 17,242 FTE roles recorded in 2016.

Similar figures show that the number of FTE road traffic officers employed by Police Scotland fell from 567.7 in 2019 to just 518 at the end of June 2024.

Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill, left, said: “Communities are having to deal with the consequences of the SNP’s recklessness in allowing police officer numbers to fall.

“Hardworking officers keep our country safe, but increasingly, they face rising demands and are under even more pressure. Sadly, we are now seeing the impact this is having across our country.

“Crime rose by 7% across Scotland last year, and the number of hit-and-run incidents on our roads has jumped dramatically in the space of just four years. We cannot go on like this.

“SNP ministers have to wake up to the damage that is being caused by their failure to properly resource Police Scotland. Their negligence is putting people’s lives in danger.

“When they set out their Programme for Government this week, the SNP government must address the serious challenges facing our police force – and ensure that we are doing all we can to keep people safe.”

Police Scotland recorded incidents classified as ‘RTC – hit and run’ for the period 2023 to 2026 (up to 28th June 2026).

Division	2023	2024	2025	2026
North East	94	191	225	380
Tayside	128	179	274	387
Highlands & Islands	64	100	126	209
Forth Valley	62	132	167	235
Edinburgh City	220	270	317	563
Lothian & Scottish Border	155	194	271	484
Fife	123	92	142	333
Greater Glasgow	342	385	468	825
Ayrshire	103	140	180	304
Lanarkshire	188	235	314	564
Argyll & West Dunbartonshire	48	67	58	123
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde	83	89	126	234
Dumfries & Galloway	42	40	58	85
Total	1652	2114	2726	4726