POLICE officers are removing “all goodwill” and only work overtime if ordered to do so amid an ongoing pay dispute.

The Scottish Police Federation has written to Police Scotland chief constable Iain Livingstone, setting out that from 5pm on Friday, members will only work overtime is lawfully ordered to do so and would claim payment for their extra time worked.

Police officers are not allowed to take industrial or strike action in law.

The removal of goodwill means that officers will not begin their shits early, they will end their shifts at the rostered time unless orders to work late and then, every period of overtime will be claimed.

Police officers will also not take personal protective equipment home at the end of the day, even if they are set to work the next day.

A pay offer amounting to a £565 increase, has been rejected and labelled “derisory”.

In a letter to members, Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said the “withdrawal of police offer goodwill” will begin on Friday “until further notice”.

He said: “It is vitally important that all of our members stand shoulder to shoulder in support of this actions.

“There will be no improvement in our pay situation if we don’t.”

Mr Steele insisted that “the purpose of this action is categorically not to frustrate any investigation or further aggravate any victim’s experience”. He added: “It is simply to demonstrate to our employers just how much discretionary effort and free policing hours they ordinarily take for granted.”

Mr Steele told members that is was “essential that in order to persuade our ‘employers’ to return to the negotiating table with a fair pay offer that we use all lawful methods to demonstrate our anger and dissatisfaction with what is on offer”.

He added: “If there is no coordinated response by members to this derisory offer, our position in future years will be weaker and compromised.”

Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary, Jamie Greene, said: “This further action announced by the Scottish Police Federation highlights that relations between the SNP Government and police officers have hit rock bottom.

“These measures may seem limited but given that officers cannot legally go on strike, this is a powerful indication of how furious the police are with the SNP Government, who are shamefully trying to take advantage of their limited industrial-action rights.

“It’s no wonder that frontline officers feel compelled to act when the SNP Government have offered them a derisory pay offer and handed them a real-terms budget cut of over £100 million.

“Officer numbers are already at their lowest level since the SNP centralised Scotland’s police and, with many tired and demoralised officers retiring from service, there is an inevitability that things will only get worse in terms of police numbers on our streets.

“Our hard-working officers, and the wider public, deserve better than being treated with such contempt by SNP ministers.”

Last week a Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Police officer pay is negotiated through the Police Negotiating Board (PNB), as it has been for many years. “The PNB process is ongoing in relation to pay for 2022/23, and we await the outcome of those discussions."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We recognise the considerable goodwill officers bring to their roles on a daily basis as they keep people safe across the country, and this is also valued by the communities they serve.

“We therefore remain committed, through the Police Negotiating Board, to seeking a settlement.”