MANUEL CORTES called for Transport Secretary Michael Matheson to be sacked from the Cabinet today for his “complete mishandling” of the British Transport Police (BTP) merger with Police Scotland.

The transport union TSSA general secretary’s condemnation emerged amid news that the Scottish government is to back off from its unpopular merger plans between the two forces and consider a wider set of options than were first proposed in 2015.

Files obtained by the Herald on Sunday newspaper suggest that SNP Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf is willing to retreat from the integrated policing plans and may also agree to an informal arrangement between BTP and the Scottish police force.