POLICE Scotland has paid out an “eye-watering” £2.5million to silence departing staff with so-called gagging orders in the last three years, we can reveal.

Concerns were raised by political parties over the “eye-watering” figures, with warnings that the use of non-disclosure agreements are a risk to transparency – sparking calls for the Chief Constable to reform their use.

In total, 27 police officers signed the NDAs between January 2021 and May 2024 -19 men and eight women cops.

NDAs – legal contracts which prevent a person from sharing information – have also been signed by seven members of police staff – five men and two women.

And one member of the public, a woman, has also signed an NDA.

Police Scotland also confirmed part of the cash payments were linked to 1,200 cops making a claim for unpaid holiday pay.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Politics Matters