SCOTLAND'S leading police officer will give evidence at the inquiry into media ethics and press standards next month.

Strathclyde's Chief Constable Steve House will give the Leveson Inquiry his views on the relationship between the Scottish media and the police north of the Border.

He will give evidence along with counterparts from Wales and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, as will Strathclyde's director of communications Rob Shorthouse.

Mr House told his governing body, the Strathclyde Police Authority: "I have been asked to appear in front of Lord Justice Leveson on March 21. Before we all get too excited about this, Leveson is quite properly inviting chief constables from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where we'll discuss the relationship between the police and press in our respective areas. There's no special reason for the invite that I've been told of."

Last month, editors from Scotland told Leveson that the UK's press outside London has a "very good reputation" for behaving ethically and should not be tarnished by the phone hacking scandal.