One of Scotland’s most senior police officers has been accused of telling a colleague he was ‘too white, too male, too middle-aged’ to be promoted.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs is said to have made the comment during feedback to a chief superintendent who failed in a promotion attempt.

The officer complained through the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the civilian oversight body.

Separately, the Mail revealed last month that Mr Speirs had been accused of sexual harassment by a female civilian worker, who is taking him to an employment tribunal.

Mr Speirs has previously said he is committed to ‘ensuring we eliminate any potential for conscious and unconscious bias and discrimination’.

The Deputy Chief Constable allegedly told the officer he was ‘too white, too male, too middle-aged’ to be promoted.

A police source told the Mail: ‘This officer was staggered by the comments. Anyone of lesser rank would have been hauled in front of a disciplinary panel.’

It is understood Mr Speirs is alleged to have made a similar comment to a second officer. 

The SPA complaints and conduct committee considered the allegations but the complaint was not upheld. 

However, the Mail understands ASPS is attempting to challenge the decision on the grounds it believes the claim can be corroborated.

It is also planning to raise the issue with Justice Secretary Neil Gray next month. Commenting on the case, former superintendent Martin Gallagher criticised Police Scotland’s ‘unrelenting drive for ‘diversity’ and claimed ‘capable officers who have given their lives to policing are being thrown on the scrapheap’ for ‘being white’. 

 He said: ‘If this is what is happening at the most senior levels of policing, I am sure it is not hard to imagine how this approach is perverting the entire system of advancement in the service.’

Police Scotland referred our enquiries to the SPA, which said it could not comment.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said: ‘Any allegation that internal decisions could be taken in this manner will raise fresh questions about the culture within Police Scotland.’

An ASPS spokesman said it is ‘supporting a member who has raised a complaint regarding their treatment by a senior officer’.