More time on beat for new police officers

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Jul 2010, 13:54 BST

Updated 13th Jul 2010, 12:57 BST

New police recruits are to spend less time in the classroom and more time pounding the streets following an overhaul of training methods.

Probationers will spend an extra two weeks getting hands-on experience on the beat.

Scottish Police College director John Geates said the new regime "exposes probationers to the realities of their actual working environment at an earlier stage".