Strathclyde Police has introduced campus police officers to four secondary schools in Renfrewshire, it was announced yesterday.

The four officers took up their jobs at Castlehead High School in Paisley, Paisley Grammar, Trinity High School in Renfrew and Linwood High School on June 2 in a joint initiative with Renfrewshire Council which police say is aimed at "building stronger and safer communities".

The announcement comes three weeks after Helen Connor, vice president of the Educational Institute of Scotland, demanded an end to the policy of stationing of police officers in schools, saying proper consultation was not being carried out in some local authorities, that police should instead be operating in the wider community and that the scheme was encouraging teachers to become informers.

One-third of Scotland's 32 local authorities have already sanctioned the use of so-called "campus cops".

Strathclyde Police said the latest schools were selected because they are the ones with the biggest intake and catchment areas in Renfrewshire.

In a statement, the force said: "This innovative approach has proved successful in other areas with significant and important benefits for the local community: improved pupil behaviour in school and at home as well and that has increased staff attendance.

"There are fewer fights in and around the schools. There has been a reduction in the levels of aggression shown - reported by staff in relation to both parents and pupils. There has been a huge reduction in vandalism. More pupils are reporting incidents of bullying."