A RETIRED US cop has given officers in Glasgow his police badge during a visit to Scotland.

Chief Gerrit Gillespie gifted cops in the city's South East area with a badge from his force.

The former policeman worked at the Collinsville Police Department in Illinois.

The sub-division, which covers the Gorbals, Cathcart and surrounding areas, shared an image of the badge and thanked the chief for the gift on the social media website Twitter.

Collinsville Police Department responded and said: "Look at that! We are making friends across the globe. That makes us smile."

The practice of handing over a police badge to a force is a long tradition amongst cops.

Police memorabilia is often exchanged between police forces when officers are visiting countries.

It is understood that the exchange of patches is seen to be as a sign of respect and cooperation between agencies.

In Glasgow, the Scottish Police Museum, on Bell Street, has amassed a collection of police badges and uniforms from across the globe.

Former Glasgow inspector Alastair Dinsmor is one of the many retired police officers who help run the museum which is opened seven days a week from April to October.

The museum opened in 2002 in the former Central Police Headquarters in the Calton before it moved to its current location in the Merchant City’s Bell Street in 2009.

Visit the Scottish Police Museum on Bell Street. For more information, visit http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/