SCOTS police have been branded a “nanny advice” service after tweeting “banal” Christmas safety tips.
Officers in Ayrshire have been using their Twitter account to provide 12 “festive tips for a safe Christmas”.
The force insists the messages are part of their commitment to keeping Scots safe at a busy time of the year.
But critics say the advice is obvious to the point of being patronising.
They include: “6th day of Xmas SPIKING Be aware of where your drink is at all times.Never leave it unattended & do not accept drinks from strangers.
The first day of Christmas tip was: “EAT. Eating a proper meal before having alcohol will slow the intake & prevent the alcohol taking effect too quickly.”
Other suggestions for a safe party season include taking a fully-charged mobile with plenty of credit, pre-book a taxi “so you know how you’re getting home”, and “Try alternating drinks with water/soft drinks to help reduce alcohol consumption & hangovers”.
Still on the theme of alcohol they tweeted: ““Stick to the same drink & don’t mix your drinks.This makes it easier to keep track of how much alcohol you consume.”
Yesterday (Fri), the 7th day of a safe Xmas, they urged: “BE SENSIBLE. Don’t be tempted to carry out any ‘stunts’ that your friend encourage you to. Alcohol impairs your judgement!”
A spokesman from TaxpayerScotland was scathing.
He said: “In times where there is little money about, it’s concerning that officials should spend time thinking up banal things to tell us as some sort of a nanny advice service.
“You always get it at this time of year.
“Officials trying to be official advice centres. We have magazines and media for that. We don’t need it.”
A Police Scotland spokesman defended the tweets, saying they were intended to help keep people safe
He said: “Communities across Scotland become busier day and night over the festive period with shoppers and people out celebrating.”
