Poll: Should police in the Highlands be routinely armed?

The presence of armed police officers in the Highlands has sparked furious debate.

A cross party group of councillors has called for the controversial policy to be abandoned.

The north politicians have argued that weapons should be stored securely in vehicles rather than carried in a holster.

However, Police Scotland chief constable Sir Stephen House has claimed that reversing the policy would be a “retrograde” step.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has said that 275 officers – just 1.6% of the force – are authorised to carry guns on a daily basis.

Question: Do you agree that specialist police officers in the Highlands should be allowed to carry firearms at all times?