Scotland's police stations not fit for purpose

A Tayside police chief admits many of the regions stations are not fit for purpose.

This comes as an internal ceiling at the building in Broughty Ferry collapsed on Tuesday evening.

Concerns have been raised about a number of different locations across the country, including leaks in Paisley and burst pipes in Oban.

In a statement the Chief Superintendent Andrew Todd said:

"The building is not being used due to health and safety risks and won’t be until a full assessment has been carried out.

"We have inherited a policing estate which has been built up over the course of several decades.

"Some buildings are no longer operationally fit for purpose, in the right place or designed in a way which allows us to work alongside partners.

"I am grateful to officers and staff who continue to work tirelessly in challenging conditions and I am committed to finding solutions that improve the environment from which we operate."

Mould, leaking windows and asbestos have been reported officers.

David Hamilton, from the Scottish Police Federation, which represents most rank and file officers, posted of the extent of the leaking at the Paisley Office:

It's expected to be high in the agenda at today's First Minister's Question's.

Labour's Justice Spokesperson James Kelly MSP said:

“The Cabinet Secretary may write off the concerns of hard-working police officers as hyperbole, but the fact is that many of Scotland’s police stations are not fit for purpose and are a danger to police officers and the public.

The Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“We expect Police Scotland to carry out the necessary health and safety checks at Broughty Ferry police station in a timely way and expect that they will continue to ensure that in all cases the focus will remain on a ‘health and safety first’ approach for all officers, staff and the public.

“The allocation of resources, including for the police estate, is for the Chief Constable and SPA to determine.

“We are protecting Police Scotland’s annual budget in real terms in every year of the current Parliament, delivering a boost of more than £100 million by 2021, despite constraints on Scotland’s public services through a decade of UK austerity.

“Now more than £1.2 billion, our funding for this year includes a 52% increase in the capital budget to allow essential investment in IT infrastructure and support mobile working to enable officers to access information remotely and spend more time in communities.

“We continue to press the UK Government for a refund of the £125 million paid by Police Scotland in VAT between 2013 and 2018.”

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