David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told a fringe meeting at the SNP conference in Edinburgh over the weekend that officers had been told they would be waiting “probably until March of next year”, The National reports.

In June, Motorola was handed a £13.3 million contract for the purchase of 10,500, Home Office-approved VB400 cameras and supporting back-office systems.

Police Scotland’s chief constable Jo Farrell has made the roll-out of body-worn cameras a priority for the force since taking command in October 2023.

The equipment is intended to help de-escalate incidents, improve public trust in policing and reduce complaints, support officer and staff safety, and bring wider benefits to the criminal justice system.

However, Mr Kennedy criticised the slow pace of progress, despite acknowledging that justice secretary Angela Constance “has fought to get the body-worn video”.

“I can’t understand why we’re in that position as a police service,” he added.