Councillors are to write to police chiefs in protest over the routine arming of officers in the Highlands.

The move comes amid growing concern at a change of policy following the creation of the new single police force, which now sees officers wearing side arms routinely deployed to everyday events.

Local politicians yesterday said their displeasure would be made clear in letters "in quite strong terms "to Chief Constable Stephen House and the Scottish Police Authority.

The Herald revealed last month that independent Highland MSP John Finnie had discovered the major departure from established policing patterns, which came as news to councillors and MSPs who had not been consulted.

Chief Superintendent Julian Innes, the most senior officer in the Highlands and Islands, suggested he explain the background to the policy to this week's meeting of the Highland Council's Community Safety, Public Engagement and Equalities Committee.

There had long been an armed response vehicle in the old Northern Constabulary force side arms area. But the firearms were stored in a locked gun-safe in the boot of the vehicle and could only be removed from the safe on the authorisation of a senior officer.

Councillors repeatedly said they did not understand what had changed for this practice to be abandoned without a public debate.

Mr Innes said that, following debriefings, a delay in armed officers' deployment "was continually identified as a strategic risk".

He explained that a ­hypothetical incident in Wick could mean a delay of as much as two hours in getting armed officers to the site.

So from March 1 last year, a month before Police Scotland came into being, it was decided "the small number of specially trained Armed Response officers would be given standing authority to carry a handgun and taser".

He said that in the Highlands and Islands there were only 16 such officers, plus a sergeant. In the first year of Police Scotland some 115 incidents had required an armed response in the Highlands, but only 41 of them were given full authorisation. These mostly entailed people with knives threatening to harm themselves or others. But none had required police officers to fire their guns.

Audrey Sinclair, councillor for Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, was one of several who she said she could not understand why the side arms could not be held with other weapons in the vehicle's gun safe, and retrieved when needed.

Mr Innes said that could mean a delay of 10 to 20 minutes and, as things stood, armed officers had to wear their side arms.

Inverness councillor Janet Campbell raised the prospect of armed officers causing alarm if they attended a routine incident at a sheltered housing complex for the elderly.

Council convener Jimmy Gray said: "We do not want police officers with standing authority to carry firearms on the streets of Inverness or the Highlands. Very clearly that is not what we want. We want them to be able to respond proportionately."

Mr Innes said he got the message and would take it back to the management team at Police Scotland, but it would be the Chief Constable's decision.

Committee chairman, Skye councillor Drew Miller, said he would also be writing.