Police officers in Scotland have voted for the right to take industrial action but have stopped short of backing the right to a strike.

Officers at the Scottish Police Federation's annual conference in Peebles voted for the unprecedented move, with 53 per cent of delegates backing it. A motion for the right to take full strike action was narrowly defeated, with 44 per cent in favour and 56 per cent against.

Norrie Flowers, the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said that what officers were saying was that while they had a loyalty to the public, they felt betrayed by the Government in London.

He added: “If you are going to treat us the same as other workers we want the same rights as other workers.”

Mr Flowers said that the right to strike was defeated because of officers' dedication to their job.

The nearest that the police anywhere in Britain have come to industrial action was a demonstration last year in London when 22,000 off-duty officers south of the border protested over the pay deal they had been given.

Yesterday's anger was directed at the Government rather than the devolved administration in Edinburgh. Last December, the Scottish Executive said that it would split with Westminster over police pay and abide by a 2.5 per cent pay increase for Scotland's officers.

Scottish police have said they will support colleagues south of the border.Mr Flowers also launched a scathing attack on the Government's attitude towards police pay, describing the Home Secretary's decision not to implement the pay award recommended by the Police Arbitration Tribunal as “dishonourable and disgusting”.

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