One of Scotland’s top police officers has been accused by a female civilian worker of sexual harassment, the Mail can reveal.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs is being taken to an employment tribunal by a member of staff.

A preliminary virtual hearing heard Mr Speirs faces eight allegations relating to his conduct.

The woman has also named the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) as a ‘respondent’ in the case – one of the parties she is suing.

It is the civilian oversight body for policing in Scotland, and her employer, but she was deployed to work at Police Scotland.

The woman alleges she was victimised and that she suffered sexual discrimination.

She claims she was removed from one aspect of her role at the force.

The woman has also complained about Mr Speirs’s conduct at an event in July 2025.

David Hay KC, representing the woman, told the hearing before employment judge Muriel Robison that the issue was ‘identifying the correct respondents [the targets of the legal action]’.

He said he had been unable to identify previous cases where a civilian worker had gone to an employment tribunal with a grievance against Police Scotland, as opposed to the SPA.

Mr Hay said: ‘While she was at work and undertaking her duties at work, she was either harassed, discriminated against or victimised by those also present at her work.

‘That is therefore contrary to her rights not to be so treated, while she is at work.

‘If this was SPA Ltd and Police Scotland Ltd, and this was a private company… then this sort of case - and the claimant’s ability to pursue it - would be pretty ordinary fare for the employment tribunal under the Equality Act.’

Mr Hay said the claims regarding conduct include ‘direct sex discrimination, harassment and detriments’ – which refer to workplace disadvantages such as demotion or removal from a role.

Brian Napier, representing Mr Speirs, said his client was not a ‘proper respondent’ in the case.

Mr Napier said Mr Speirs does not have the ‘independent authority to employ… he could only employ on the basis that he had been given authority to do so by the Scottish Police Authority’.

Kenzie Howard, representing the SPA, said the tribunal should look at whether Chief Constable Jo Farrell is involved in ‘future proceedings’.

Judge Robison said she would deliver a written judgment on who the parties sued and next steps in the process in ‘due course’.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Speirs was Assistant Chief Constable for professionalism and assurance, joining the executive team in 2017.

He started his career with now-defunct Strathclyde Police in 1988 and has performed command roles within local policing.

Having served as a temporary Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) since July 2023, he was promoted to the DCC role in March 2024.

Public sector Unison, which represents the senior civilian worker, failed to respond to requests for comment.

Asked for Mr Speirs’s comments on the allegations, Police Scotland said any inquiries about executive officers should be directed to the SPA.

The SPA said: ‘The Authority does not comment on individual complaint and conduct matters.’