POLICE drove around Fife for nearly an hour “aimlessly looking for a cell for a thief”.

After responding to a 999 call, officers arrested a man but were turned away by Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy police stations as they had no room.

They were told to wait on a dual carriageway before a custody cell space was eventually found.

The incident was highlighted in a tweet by the Scottish Police Federation, which read: “When the Scottish Government underfunds the police service and when Police Scotland squanders what it has lining the pockets of consultants we can’t be surprised if officers spend nearly an hour aimlessly looking for a cell for a thief.”

Funding concerns were raised in another tweet, describing an incident in Fife where a driver produced a positive drink-drive result.

Officers took the suspect in to custody but could not find any equipment to get an accurate reading for over an hour.

When the driver was finally tested his reading was just under the legal limit and officers could not take the matter any further. Mid Scotland and

Fife MSP Claire Baker said: “We have known from some time that across the country our police officers are stretched and are facing shrinking resources as SNP cuts bite.

"Fife is not immune to this and whilst I am shocked officers had to drive for an hour whilst waiting for a cell, I am not surprised. Whilst officers work tirelessly to tackle crime and keep us safe, the Scottish Government’s failure to fully fund Police Scotland means they do so with one hand tied behind their back.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The nature of policing is such that in exceptional circumstances there will be some occasions where there is a short term pressure on a facility’s cell capacity, for example where a large disturbance has resulted in multiple arrests.

“Where such circumstances occur, managers on duty provide direction and respond to such challenges, ensuring that plans are adapted to provide police officers with access to cells across a number of custody facilities.”