Police Scotland's chief constable was driven home 120 miles by a senior officer.

Jo Farrell, who was appointed two weeks ago, got the lift from Edinburgh to England during Storm Babet on Friday, October 20.

The journey took around six hours and meant the cop who drove her was off duty for that time, according to the Scottish Sun.

A source told the publication: “It’s an awful lack of judgement - and a kick in the teeth to frontline officers.”

Another said: “It just looks terrible - especially as it happened during Storm Babet when obviously driving conditions were very poor.

“It begs the question of why didn’t she just stay overnight in Edinburgh or use Police Scotland accommodation?”

The incident sparked backlash because 999 crews were swamped with calls due to the heavy storm across the country, which caused significant damage in Glasgow and elsewhere.

Police Scotland is also facing cuts to resources.

The 55-year-old apologised for her actions and deleted her social media after the criticism.

She said: “I requested my office to arrange for a car to drive me home to the Northumberland area after work.

“I was unable to complete the journey by train as services had been cancelled and my own police vehicle was unavailable.

“I have apologised for this error of judgement.”

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A spokesperson for the Scottish Police Authority said: “The Authority is aware the Chief Constable used a police vehicle following the cancellation of a scheduled train journey.

“The Chair has discussed this with the Chief Constable who has apologised.

“The Authority considers the matter closed.”