POLICE chiefs have apparently stepped up protection of Jim Murphy after protesters repeatedly attempted to gain access to Scottish Labour campaign events.

 

Yesterday, three uniformed police officers arrived at a nursery on the outskirts of Cumbernauld, where the Scottish Labour leader spoke to the print and broadcast media. They arrived at the secluded location in a marked police car and stood guard at the entrance as Mr Murphy posed for photographs with young children.

It followed a Scottish Labour event in Fife the previous day, when Mr Murphy visited a steel fabrication plant. Two officers sat in a marked police car as the East Renfrewshire candidate toured the business's offices in Glenrothes, a short drive from Kirkcaldy where Mr Murphy was pelted with eggs during the referendum campaign.

Police Scotland denied there was anything out of the ordinary in their attendance and would not confirm that there was a link between their deployment of officers and disruption of recent Labour campaign stops. The force said they provided "appropriate and proportionate" policing at events attended by the party leaders during the election campaign.

However, while SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's status as First Minister means that there is routinely a discreet security presence at events she attends, sources at both the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Liberal Democrats said police never turned up when their party leaders, Ruth Davidson and Willie Rennie, appeared in public.

A Tory source said: "There's never been a single cop at an event Ruth's done". Meanwhile, a Liberal Democrat insider said police officers did not attend their events, unless they were attended by Nick Clegg whose role as Deputy Prime Minister means he is also afforded regular protection.

He added: "I can't remember any occasion where we've seen police officers other than ones who have been on the beat anyway. We certainly haven't requested them and I don't remember them ever having turned up. I'd be astonished if they did."

It is understood that Labour has not requested an additional police presence. However, Police Scotland is routinely given advance notice of the party's campaign events and are able to deploy officers at their own discretion.

Earlier this month, officers were called to the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow after serial protester Sean Clerkin turned up and attempted to gain entry to an event attended by Ed Balls and Mr Murphy, who is regularly a target for vitriolic attacks over social media.

Mr Clerkin was also present at the official launch of Scottish Labour's campaign in Neilston last week, where he again attempted to confront Mr Murphy and harangued Labour members as they left the event, branding them "red Tories".

Superintendent Jim Baird, of Police Scotland, said: "In the run up to the General Election, Police Scotland is providing appropriate and proportionate policing at all events attended by the party leaders."