Police and fire services have been "stretched" by centralisation, according to a report for the Scottish Government.

Scotland's local police and fire services were amalgamated into two national organisations in 2014.

It is the second report into how the services are functioning following their establishment four years ago.

Police officers and firefighters praised "improvements in accessing national capacity and specialist expertise" as part of the new forces but they were "operating with diminishing resources".

"This has resulted in concerns among officers - confirmed by the public, councillors and community and third-sector organisations - regarding the visible presence of local officers and a perception that local resources available to deal with routine response and community engagement activities are increasingly stretched over larger geographical areas," the report judged.

Firefighters also told the report's researchers they are being "stretched" due to cuts in the number of staff working in administration.

Some members of the public also expressed "dissatisfaction" with the 101 non-emergency telephone service and the "closure or limited opening times of some police stations".

In response to the findings, justice secretary Michael Matheson said: "There is welcome recognition of achievements, including the continued provision of a highly-valued local service, strong partnerships and improved local access to national and specialist resources.

"The report also highlights some of the challenges of reform and where further improvements are needed.

"While both services are already taking action on many of these, I know they will reflect further to ensure they remain well-placed to keep Scotland safe from crime, accidents and other risks of harm."

Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said: "This is a damning report, exposing the great many problems that exist within the SNP's single police force.

"It shows clearly that the Scottish Government is expecting officers to operate with fewer resources and creating a context in which they are not being given sufficient time to properly engage with the public."

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: "Frontline police officers and firefighters are telling us that they are stretched.

"They are hamstrung by a lack of resources, the decision to cut valuable civilian expertise and their reliance on outdated IT systems."

Deputy chief constable Iain Livingstone said: "Police Scotland has continued to evolve and, as the report recognises, has already begun to address the issues raised in this report through the long-term strategy, Policing 2026.

"We remain committed to listening and working with all communities to improve the delivery of local policing across Scotland."

Diane Vincent, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said: "We are now looking at how the SFRS needs to develop to meet the new and emerging risks facing Scotland and we will work with our people to ensure they have a voice and help to directly shape a shared vision for a service of the future."