POLICE have confirmed armed officers will now only be deployed to firearms or life-threatening incidents.
It comes after growing criticism from Scots politicians about armed police on routine patrol.
Chief Constable Sir Stephen House made the decision after Police Scotland's Armed Policing Monitoring Group met last month.
A statement released today read: "Having listened to concerns expressed by politicians and some members of the public and having assessed the current operational challenges faced by Police Scotland, the Chief Constable has directed that firearms officers attached to Armed Response Vehicles will now only be deployed to firearms incidents or where there is a threat to life."
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