Police praise public for ‘calm’ referendum

Police have thanked the public and praised them for their co-operation and help during the independence referendum.

A police officer in the Highland Hall at the Royal Highland Centre during the count for the Scottish Referendum. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins today confirmed there were six arrests across the country related to the referensum, mainly for alleged breaches of the peace and assaults.

He said: “It is to everyone’s credit that they remained calm on a day of potentially high emotion and co-operated fully with our Police Officers and also the staff at Polling Places on a day when record numbers turned out to vote.

“This meant the ballot and count passed off smoothly and there were just a very few isolated incidents across the country involving a small number of alleged offences.

“Police Scotland had plans in place to ensure the safety and security of the Referendum and these worked.

“I would also like to thank our Police Officers across the country for the hard work and effort they put in to ensure the day went well.

“As we move forward the public can be assured Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe. We will respond appropriately and proportionately to any issues which may arise.”