THE head of an English police force who introduced 'yoga days' for officers to improve their "spiritual and emotional well-being" has applied to be Scotland's next Chief Constable.

Bill Skelly, the chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, who is a former Lothian and Borders police officer, has emerged as a contender for the £216,549-a-year job at Police Scotland.

The successful applicant will take over from Phil Gormley, who quit earlier this year amid bullying allegations.

The Herald: Chief Constable Phil Gormley

Mr Skelly, 51, originally from Auchterhouse, Angus, who was unsuccessful when he was interviewed for the post in 2015, took up the post of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) for Scotland three years later.

In Lincolnshire he received some heat in the wake of his initiative to give officers two extra days' paid holiday a year dubbed by some as 'yoga days' to help them cope with the pressures of the job.

It later emerged that the police force would lose the equivalent of 15 staff a year at the 1,800-employee force due to the rest days.

Defending the move earlier this year, Mr Skelly, who is married with two daughters, said: "By encouraging our staff to take time to look after themselves, I believe we can make an improvement to how they feel at work. We hope this will help to reduce sickness and improve levels of resilience."

The Herald:

Police Scotland Interim Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has also applied for the post.