Image caption,

Rhona Malone was a police firearms officer

By Kirsty Wark

Presenter, BBC Newsnight

Four women have spoken to BBC Newsnight about allegations of a "boys club" culture at all levels of Police Scotland, the UK's second largest force.

The women, who include a former assistant chief constable, described a culture of misogyny that failed to properly address their concerns.

They say other women, still working in the force, are too frightened to come forward.

Three of the women have spoken before about their experiences but have banded together because they feel their stories have been lost and there has been no measurable change in attitudes towards female staff in Police Scotland.

In May last year, Rhona Malone won almost £1m in compensation from Police Scotland after an employment tribunal found she had been victimised when she had raised concerns about sexism within the force.

Ms Malone had been a police officer for eight years when she decided to join the firearms unit in Edinburgh.

"It was a huge challenge for any police officer, not just for a woman," she told Newsnight.