COPS in Renfrewshire will join a fleet of police officers on standby to deal with the potential fallout from Brexit.

Chief Inspector Simon Wright has confirmed 21 officers from the K Division – covering Renfrewshire and Inverclyde – will join a national squad as of next week.

The special unit, which can be deployed anywhere in the UK, could be summoned into action at protests or to tackle disruption at ports.

However the officers, who will effectively be on call, will carry out normal local policing duties when they are not needed for issues relating to Brexit. 

Speaking at Tuesday’s Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Ch Insp Wright assured the loss will not impact frontline services. 

He said: “Brexit is a concern for us. We will lose 21 officers. When I say we are losing, we are supporting a national contingent. 

“They will go into a centralised pot but we will get those resources back as and when they are required. 

“Those resources will not impact on our ability to service 999, 101 or community policing.

“The force has given commitment that whatever resources we have to commit because of Brexit, it won’t affect frontline policing.” 

The 21 individuals from the K Division will form part of a contingent of 360 officers.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said last month: “We have taken this decision so that we have enhanced capacity to respond to greater policing demands during this period. Our principle focus is, and will remain, the safety of the citizens of Scotland.

“We are currently planning for a variety of possible scenarios, including potential disruption around Scottish sea and air ports, and protest events, to wider challenges across the UK leading to potential public disorder, which could lead to mutual aid requests from other police services in the UK.

“The Chief Constable has made it very clear that we will respond to such requests, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland, but any request will always be considered against the needs of policing in Scotland.”

Ch Insp Wright, who is based in Paisley police station at Mill Street, assured council officers and elected members that the force is “alive” to incidents which had been reported in the media. 

A suspicious package was received at the mail room of the University of Glasgow campus last week. 

The university was evacuated and a controlled explosion carried out. 

A group calling itself the IRA claimed responsibility for the delivery, reportedly intended for a British army recruitment officer. 

Ch Insp Wright said: “With some of the packages that have been sent across the UK, there’s been a bit of media on whether that’s linked to the IRA. 

“Without going into detail, we are alive to what’s going on in the media.

“There’s nothing definitive on whether that is the case or whether there’s threats to Scotland but I can’t rule that out. 

“I think we will see some activity as Brexit moves on, whether that’s from republicans or from elsewhere.”