Despite a high-profile promise by the Scottish Government the number of police officers in Tayside has increased by just ten in two years.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill revealed that Scotland's forces have already recruited 440 of the 450 officers that ministers pledged to add by the end of March next year.

The Government highlighted the fact that Tayside had added 10 officers to its overall strength in the quarter to the end of September alone.

However, the county's new total of 1,185 is only 10 more than at the end of September 2006 as others have left the service during the period.

In Fife, although five officers were added during the last quarter, the force actually has fewer officers than at the same time last year.

Mr MacAskil told the Dundee Evening Telegraph: "The fact that 440 of the 450 new centrally funded police recruits we pledged for this financial year have already been recruited is tangible proof of the Scottish Government's commitment to make an additional 1,000 officers available in our communities.

"This welcome increase in the number of officers is in part the result of our direct recruitment of new officers, over and above the recruitment plans of our police forces. Already the resources and policies now in place are delivering improved policing for Scotland.

"Our chief constables should be congratulated for redeploying their officers and delivering more police on our streets as this Government delivers record numbers to our police forces."

The most recent police quarterly strength figures show that there were 16,526 police officers in Scotland, the highest figure ever recorded.

Mr MacAskill continued, "We inherited the lowest recruitment since devolution with many officers due to retire. We've tackled that challenge head on, and although these latest figures are reassuring, there remains much work to be done.

"Furthermore, the key to the police service's ability to respond is not just its size, but its capacity. The right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time."

The Finance Secretary announced an extra £40 million would be made available for policing over the next three years.