Police complaints rules set out

The family of Kevin McLeod have had a high profile complaint

A police board has set out how it will handle complaints made against it and Northern Constabulary.

How the force deals with grievances has been in the spotlight because of a family's anger at how police handled an investigation into a young man's death.

Northern Joint Police Board has drawn up its procedure in line with a Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland's request that all boards to do so.

The northern body also looks set to establish a new complaints group.

It has been recommended that a sub-committee of five board members be set up to look at grievances against the force and any issues that fall outwith specific categories covered by complaints procedure.

Consistently criticised

The procedure details how long it should take to deal with complaints on matters such as quality of service and that a member of the public should be directed to the complaints commissioner if they are unhappy with the board's response.

The board - which covers Highland and the Western Isles - and Northern Constabulary's chief constable recently apologised to the family of Kevin McLeod for the way their complaints about an initial police probe into his death were handled.

Mr McLeod's body was found in Wick harbour in February 1997.

Northern Constabulary said his death was accidental but his family believed he was murdered and have consistently criticised the force over its investigation.