SCOTLAND’S police union has accused Anas Sarwar of “playing the race card” after he complained about the number of black and Asian people being stopped and searched.

An extraordinary row erupted after the Glasgow Labour MSP claimed government statistics showed ethnic minorities were four times more likely to be stopped by officers.

However the report he quoted from was heavily caveated by its author, who said incomplete data, some from 2011, meant “no conclusions can be drawn about ethnic bias”.

Nevertheless, Mr Sarwar issued a press release accusing police stops and searches of “disproportionately targeting ethnic minorities” and said the figures illustrated “everyday racism”.

Mr Sarwar urged Justice Secretary Michael Matheson to “ensure stop and search powers are used effectively without prejudice”.

He also took to Twitter to say “you are 4x MORE likely to be stop and searched in Scotland if you are Black and Asian”.

David Hamilton, the vice chair of the Scottish Police Federation, replied online, accusing him of making a “reckless and unfounded” charge against officers.

He said searches of non-white people were just 4 per cent of all searches, and the numbers were so low they were likely to be skewed by some people being searched more than once.

He said: “This measure also relies on highly rounded data that is 7 years out of date. This is all in the report yet you ignore and instead choose to play the race card against Police Scotland officers? Really?”

Mr Sarwar said he was “disappointed” by his response, adding: “I quote stats directly from the report and raise an issue within the report and you jump straight to the ‘race card’ defence. Should be no fear in raising issues, debating and looking at processes.”

Mr Hamilton said: “Have you actually read the report or just tweeted the pictures?

Your insinuation that there is an issue displayed in this data is reckless and unfounded.

“If there was valid data then I'd be the first to discuss debate and ensure change.

“But there's not.”

Mr Sarwar accused Mr Hamilton of trying to “shut down” the debate, and said the two should discuss it further at Scottish Labour’s conference this week in Dundee.

Mr Hamilton agreed to the meeting, saying it would be good to hear why Mr Sarwar “felt need to insinuate racial bias”.

Mr Sarwar replied: “Data. Lived experience. My constituent casework. Stories shared with me by your fellow officers.”

Calum Steele, the general Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, also waded into the row, telling Mr Sarwar: “Your press release explicitly links stop search with racism, despite the explicit warnings about data reliability from report author.

“It’s shroud waving of cynical proportions and you know it.”

Mr Sarwar said: “Calum - you and your colleagues have now accused me of the ‘race card’, 'personal agenda' and being 'deliberately disingenuous'. Not a good look.

“This behaviour is what makes it more difficult for people to speak out.”