Edinburgh Police sent to help control Extinction Rebellion campaigners in London as protests continue

ABOUT 100 officers will be deployed to England's capital to assist with policing the Extinction Rebellion protests currently taking place.

Edinburgh police officers deployed to help control Extinction Rebellion protests

Police Scotland agreed today the Edinburgh-based Public Order Officers will go down early next week.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone approved the request from the National Police Coordination Centre on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.

He briefed both Scottish Police Authority Chair Susan Deacon and Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf earlier today to reassure the deployment of officers would not undermine Police Scotland’s ability to protect the public in Scotland.

Police controlling Extinction Rebellion protesters in London this week

"The Scottish Police Federation is engaged in this process and the safety and welfare of my officers and colleagues is paramount.

"Scotland has benefited from mutual aid in the past and will do so again in the future. It's therefore appropriate that, as the UK's second biggest police service, we supply officers when asked to do so by other forces.”