Members of the public are being asked to give their opinion on the controversial issue of armed police on Scotland's streets.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) says it wants to gauge the level of public concern following what it describes as "misinformation and misunderstandings" in the debate surrounding the policy.

Politicians and community leaders have attacked the nationwide roll-out of officers with a standing authority to carry guns on routine patrols since the formation of Scotland's single police force.

The Police Scotland policy is now the subject of independent reviews by the SPA and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS).

The SPA has already contacted 350 interested parties to garner their views on the issue.

Iain Whyte, board member and chair of the scrutiny inquiry,said: "With the obvious exception of last week's referendum, few other issues have stimulated as much debate in recent months as the role of armed officers in Scottish policing."