Officers used pepper spray and Taser guns on children

Scottish officers have used an incapacitant spray more potent than tear gas on children as young as 12, the police watchdog has revealed.

A 12-year-old was subdued at his home after assaulting a man in front of family members and then trying to flee police officers through the back garden.

When he was caught, he punched and kicked the officers chasing him, who then used PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray significantly stronger than CS tear gas.

Six PAVA incidents targeting children were referred to the Police and Investigations Review Commissioner (Pirc) in the past year.

In its annual report for 2023-24, the PIRC said Taser stun-guns were also used twice on children aged between 11 and 15.

The disclosures came as the watchdog, set up in 2013, revealed it had conducted a record number of investigations, with its workload rising 11 per cent from 136 to 151 cases in 2023-24.

In another PAVA incident, officers 'engaged with a group, which primarily contained adult males, but also included a 13-year-old child'.

The PIRC report said a 'disturbance ensued, which resulted in the child punching an officer and knocking him to the ground'.

It added: 'Matters escalated, which resulted in one officer drawing their PAVA and discharging it.

'This took immediate effect and the child was arrested.'

Commenting on the use of PAVA spray on children, the PIRC said all of the incidents had 'been the subject of a full investigation, two of which remain ongoing'.

Pelargonic acid vanillylamide, also known as PAVA or nonivamide, uses a synthetic equivalent of capsaicin, the ingredient in chilli peppers that gives them their 'heat'.

Dispensed from a canister in a liquid stream, it primarily affects the eyes – causing severe pain, temporary blindness and sometimes also a burning sensation on the surrounding skin.

Overall, Taser probes have seen a 'marked increase', up by 25 per cent from the previous year.

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The PIRC said the rise in cases from 77 to 96 'corresponds with the increased numbers of officers authorised to carry Taser in policing bodies operating across Scotland'.

The watchdog said it anticipated the increase would continue 'with the further roll-out of Tasers'.

The PIRC said Police Scotland had handled 57 per cent of complaints from the public 'reasonably' well, down from 74 per cent the previous year. 

There have been a total of 807 investigations over the past decade, with more than 3,000 recommendations issued to police.

PIRC commissioner Michelle Macleod said the scope of her organisation's work had 'increased substantially' over recent years.

In 2023-24, the PIRC was allocated a budget of £6,316,000 – an increase of £492,000 from 2022-23.

The annual report said this uplift 'provided £229,000 towards legal costs in relation to the Sheku Bayoh public inquiry'.

This followed the death in custody of Mr Bayoh in May 2015 after he was restrained by officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: 'We regularly reflect on the recommendations we receive from the PIRC, implementing change as required and sharing learning across the organisation.'