A Scots police officer has been treated in hospital after his marked car was struck by an alleged runaway driver in Perthshire.

The crash happened on the A85 between Crieff and Comrie at around 9.30pm on Friday April 19.

A white Audi A5, which was being pursued by a  single-crewed police sergeant, was seen to collide with a barrier.

It was then driven into the side of the police car, which had pulled alongside the stricken vehicle, before making off from the scene.

The policeman was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary for treatment after suffering whiplash.

It is understood that he has since been released and is recovering well.

The 32-year-old driver of the Audi was traced a short time after the incident and has been charged with various road traffic offences.

He is expected to appear at Perth Sheriff Court at a later date.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We can confirm that a 32 year old man was arrested following an incident on the A85 in Comrie which happened about 9:30pm on Friday April 19.

“A white Audi A5 was seen to strike a barrier, then collided with a police vehicle and failed to stop.

“The car and driver were traced a short time later, and a police officer attended hospital with minor injuries.

“The arrested man was charged with a number of road traffic offences and was released from custody on an undertaking to appear at Perth Sheriff Court at a later date.”

Two police officers were left with “excruciating headaches” and feeling nauseous after being exposed to suspected exhaust fumes in their marked vehicle.

The Mitsubishi Outlander was being used by police staff in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, on Friday April 12 when the occupants began to feel unwell.

The incident was immediately reported to Police Scotland’s Fleet Services who took the vehicle off the road to allow for it to be examined.

The officers reported smelling what they believed to be exhaust fumes within the passenger cabin before their symptoms kicked in.

It follows two incidents in Aberdeen and Galashiels where cars of the same make and model reportedly suffered the same issue.

Brian Jones, Assistant to the General Secretary at the Scottish Police Federation, and who deals with health and safety, said: “There have been concerns raised before that this brand of vehicle but nothing was definitively found.

“However, the officers who were driving that vehicle last weekend had significant issues.

“It made them feel sick and they suffered excruciating headaches. The decision was taken to take that vehicle off the road and the Fleet Manager was contacted straight away.

“It’s quite difficult to say what’s actually causing the fumes to come from the engine compartment into the seating compartment.

“They haven’t been able to identify this irrespective of a number of vehicles being off road already or previously.

“From the smell, they’re assuming it’s exhaust fumes. It may not be. It may be something from the coolant system. We don’t know so we can only go with what they believe it is.

“They’ve had exactly the same issues in Aberdeen and in the Scottish Borders with the same type of vehicle.

“We’re kind of prodding about in the dark. We can only report what the officers tell us. On this occasion, Police Scotland acted very quickly.

“By the Saturday morning, the vehicle had been taken off the road to ensure that no other officers could be exposed to any risk whatsoever.”

He added that the Mitsubishi Outlander’s, which are used for general patrol and response, were being replaced by Police Scotland due to their age.

The latest incident follows the revelation that the equivalent of one police car breaks down almost every day while on patrol in Scotland.

New figures released this week showed that 349 cars suffered a fault last year – an increase of 100 on the year before.

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “Police Scotland has a fleet of more than 3,500 vehicles covering around 70 million miles each year.

“Two of the vehicles in question had faulty components, one has been taken off the road, the other has been repaired.

“The third car was found to have no fault, however this is due to be replaced in the next two weeks.

“All remaining Mitsubishi Outlanders are being checked as a precaution.

“More than 80% of these vehicles are due for replacement in the next few months, with the remaining cars being of lower mileage.”

A Fife police officer linked to the custody death of Sheku Bayoh told how she feared “a murder was about to take place” after being called to the 2015 incident.

PC Nicole Short provided a written account detailing her recollection of the events of May 3, when she was called to the Templehall area of Kirkcaldy at around 7.20am.

The 32-year-old, who has been signed off sick with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since the incident, said police had received calls of black male with a knife on Hayfield Road.

She told how she believed colleagues had used CS and PAVA spray on Bayoh, 31, but noted that he reacted to it by “laughing and wiping it away from his eyes like it was just water”.

The new details were revealed in an opinion notice by Lord Stephen Woolman which was made public following a legal battle by PC Short for the right to retire early on medical grounds.

Her statement said: “Mr Bayoh’s muscles were bulging and he looked aggressive. He was not listening to their commands and looked very intimidating.

“He appeared out of control and dangerous and given the reports of him chasing people with a knife as well as his demeanour and the way he didn’t react to the sprays, I felt that he could not be permitted to leave.

“I was terrified that he was going to kill a member of the public if he was allowed to leave the street, which is what he was trying to do.

“I still fully believed that he had a knife in his possession.

“I issued Mr Bayoh with verbal instructions and commands to stop by shouting, ‘stop … stay where you are, put your hands behind your back, get down on your knees’. He ignored me.”

PC Short told how another colleague again used spray on Bayoh but it continued to have no effect, prompting her to draw her police baton as he allegedly walked towards her.

She continued: “I swiped my baton at him whilst he was skipping towards me to try to show him that I was serious and that he needed to stop.

“I swiped towards the middle of his body and I completely missed him. Mr Bayoh was now so close to me that he was right in my face and I decided to turn around and run.

“I was screaming at this point and desperate to get away from him. I screamed ‘NOOOOO’. I knew that he was chasing me, and I knew that he was right behind me.

“I could hear him behind me and I knew from what he had said and the way he had moved towards me that he was going to hammer me.

“I felt an enormous blow to the back of my head over to the lower right side. I went flying. My feet actually left the ground and I landed on the ground almost at the other side of the road.”

PC Short was taken to hospital before returning to Kirkcaldy Police Station.

Mr Bayoh, a gas engineer, was pronounced dead a short time later and a probe by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner was launched.

PC Short and colleague PC Alan Paton, 44, who was also involved in the incident, had asked the Scottish Police Authority for permission to retire early due to ill-health.

But their pleas were rejected by the SPA who felt it would not be in the “public interest” to allow medical discharges because of the PIRC investigation into the “high profile” death.

Lord Woolman has sided with the two officers and has ordered the SPA to reconsider allowing them to retire.

He said: “I conclude that the SPA’s reasons do not add up.  There is an unabridged gap between the alleged involvement of the officers in a high profile incident and the conclusion that it was in the public interest that they should be prevented from retiring.

“The decision was therefore irrational.  To say that they were ‘involved’ in the incident is not enough. Something more is required.

“I also hold that, as the counterpart, the SPA failed to take into account the relevant consideration that the officers have never been told that they may face proceedings.”

He added: “I shall grant orders reducing the decision letters, and require the SPA to reconsider the petitioners’ applications for retirement on the grounds of ill-health within 30 days of the date of the order.”

Scottish Police Federation deputy general secretary David Kennedy said: “We welcome the outcome of this Judicial Review which makes clear these officers suffered significant injury in the execution of their duties and qualify to retire on grounds of ill health.

“We hope that a decision is made soon by the Scottish Police Authority to allow this.

“We continue to support our members and hope that a date for a Fatal Accident Inquiry or a Public Inquiry will be made soon.

“It is in the interests of all concerned in these tragic events that the facts are judicially determined.”

An SPA spokeswoman said: “The SPA chief executive has reviewed these decisions as instructed by Lord Woolman and in accordance with the SPA’s governance arrangements.

“We cannot comment further at this stage.”

A police watchdog has launched a probe after a Taser was used on a 20-year-old man in Bannockburn.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) confirmed they would be looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident which took place on March 29.

Officers were called to an address in the Forth Valley area following reports of concern for a person at around about 11.45pm.

No one was injured following the incident and the 20-year-old man was arrested at the scene.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Forth Valley were called to an address in Bannockburn at around 11.45pm on Friday 29 March following a report of concern for a person.

“Officers attended and whilst bringing the incident to a safe conclusion, a Taser was discharged. No-one was injured as a result.

“A 20-year-old man was arrested at the scene and inquiries remain ongoing.

“As is standard procedure when a Taser is discharged, the matter has been referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.”

A spokesperson for the PIRC’s Investigation Team said: “We are investigating a police officer’s use of a conductive energy device, known as Taser, at a 20-year-old man in Bannockburn on Friday 29 March 2019.

“As is standard procedure, the case was referred by Police Scotland and a report will be submitted to them in due course.”

Police Scotland’s use of Tasers on suspects has risen by 400% in three years, according to the latest figures.

They were used on members of the public 65 times during a 12-month period up until March 2018.

A total of 27 incidents involving the weapons were recorded the previous year and on 13 occasions in 2016.

Police Scotland is training an extra 520 officers to use the devices whilst the Scottish Police Federation wants to see all officers equipped with them.