The force said the number of officers would not be affected

The newly created divisions will merge many of Strathclyde's most densely populated areas, covering approximately 110 square miles.

More than 800 officers from the north and east of the city have joined forces with Glasgow Central and West Division.

The force said residents in the areas where boundaries are shifting would not be affected.

There will be the same number of community police officers working on the beat they covered prior to the change.

The idea to change the divisional boundaries was based on the Local Government in Scotland Act (2003), which placed a statutory duty on police forces and other publicly funded bodies to participate in the community planning process.

We are still providing the same high quality service with the same amount of resources, John Neilson Strathclyde Police

In a statement, the force said it would "fully engage" in the community planning process, which aims to ensure that locals are involved in making decisions about public services.

Glasgow City Council recently made internal boundary changes within the city centre to create 10 local community planning partnership areas (LCPP).

Strathclyde Police said its decision to reduce the number of divisions and sub-divisions would complement the new areas.

John Nielson, the force's Assistant Chief Constable, said staff and resources have been "realigned" rather than increased.

"We are still providing the same high quality service with the same amount of resources," he said.

"The changes are purely structural and have been designed to stay in keeping with the recent electoral reform, which saw the creation of 10 LCPPs.