All public sector workers should be subject to random drug testing, according to the head of one of Scotland's most influential police bodies.

Chief Superintendent Valerie McHoull, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, yesterday called for testing to try and curb demand for illicit drugs.

Last month, senior police officers revealed random testing is to be introduced to Scotland's eight police forces to try to eradicate substance misuse.

Estimates suggest around 1000 officers, 6% of the total service in Scotland, may use drugs and one officer has been charged with dealing.

Speaking at the association's annual conference in Dunblane, Ms McHoull, the first female president in the body's 85-year history, also called for Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, to consider that the current eight-force structure in Scotland "may be out of step" with the contemporary world.

She also raised concerns about current policy to retain officers under the 30-plus scheme, which she said is "not an effective way to increase overall numbers" in the police.

Ms McHoull said: "Drug testing is now being rolled out across all Scottish forces as a national measure and the association welcomes this. We believe it should be mandatory for all police officers.

"This is not just a police issue, this is a societal issue and it is something that you might consider progressing across the whole public sector.

"If all organisations, public and private, including ultimately universities and sports clubs, introduced testing perhaps we could make more of an impact in the war against drugs - from the demand end rather than supply.

"Had the private sector had mandatory or even possibly optional drug testing a decade ago then the proliferation of cocaine use among young professionals might have been averted."

There are some 582,300 people employed in the public sector in Scotland, making up approximately 23% of the country's total workforce.

Grampian Police introduced random testing several years ago.

The forces-wide scheme announced last month is expected to see probationers tested on joining and every two years afterwards.

While some firms, such as Network Rail, are required by law to test employees, others do so because of health and safety concerns.