A police chief under investigation for alleged cheating on an elite course has been moved to a non-operational role.

Assistant chief constable Wayne Mawson’s post will be filled temporarily while a probe by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (pirc) is ongoing. The announcement was made on Police Scotland's intranet site.

It comes as pressure grows on Neil Richardson, a deputy chief constable, after the Interception of Communications Commissioner's Office found that a unit under his control broke new rules on spying on journalists' sources.

In a separate move, Chief Constable Sir Stephen House is due to step down next month.

Mr Mawson was accused of passing off a colleague’s work in a bid to secure a qualification required to hold on to his job.

The allegations relate to his attendance earlier this year at the Strategic Command Course (SCC) in Sunningdale, Berkshire.

The complaint was referred by Mr Richardson to the Scottish Police Authority, which then passed it to the PIRC.

The pirc will assess whether, if substantiated, the allegations would amount to misconduct, gross misconduct or do not merit further investigation.

The Herald:

Mr Mawson had been allowed to continue in his ACC post, but officers and staff were told earlier this week that he had been moved.

He has been shifted to a non-operational role that involves looking at local policing.

The decision has been explained internally as a temporary change to the force's executive body.

Mr Mawson joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1988 and transferred to Strathclyde Police on promotion to Chief Superintendent in 2009, where he was Divisional Commander for Glasgow North East and East Dunbartonshire Division.

He was appointed as a Police Scotland ACC in January 2013.

ANALYSIS: THE MAWSON COURSE CHEATING ALLEGATIONS

John Carnochan, a former head of Strathclyde Police's Violence Reduction Unit , said: "I don't think there was any other appropriate course of action in the circumstances. It is the right way to deal with things."

Former officer Graeme Pearson, now a Labour MSP, welcomed the decision, adding: "It is important the process is completed as soon as possible for all those concerned."

DCC Richardson said: “For an interim period, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson has moved to a non-operational role looking at local policing development. A process will commence shortly to identify a temporary replacement to cover the duties of the Assistant Chief Constable, Local Policing West.”