Police officers across Scotland have expressed anger at the news that they will no longer be able to take the 2nd January as a public holiday. This has caused issues as many police staff had made arrangements on the basis they were receiving the public holiday. They will have the public holiday on another date later in the year. Police Scotland has also told all officers that they will not be able to take any annual leave through the period of the Commonwealth Games. Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said:“Our Police officers do a great job to keep us safe and serve our communities tirelessly and selflessly. We often ask a great deal from our serving police officers and the news that they will not be able to take any annual leave through the period of the Commonwealth Games and will no longer be able to take the 2nd January as a public holiday has angered many serving officers. “It is also my understanding that Police officers across Scotland have been told that they will not be able to take any annual leave through the period of the Commonwealth Games which will run from 23 July to 3 August. “For Police officers who have children this will leaves about two weeks in August for them to take a holiday with their family within school term time. Many will therefore be forced to try to take a family holiday outside of school times. “Alex Salmond and the SNP are presided over a situation where morale within the Police service has hit rock bottom. Increasingly Police Officers are contacting MSPs to express their concern at the SNP centralisation of our police service.”