Police Scotland headquarters Tulliallan closed amid Legionella bacteria infestation

Police Scotland’s headquarters has been shut down amid an infestation of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

Tulliallan, the site which includes the Scottish Police College, is being closed temporarily as water systems are investigated after the discovery of traces of Legionella bacteria.

In November, Police Scotland confirmed showerheads had been replaced but now all water systems on the campus are being inspected and flushed.

The closure follows “specific” health and safety advice relating to the college providing accommodation for a large number of people.

There have been no confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease at the campus yet, deputy chief constable Fiona Taylor said.

From Tuesday, the site has been closed to allow for a “full inspection of pipework and a flush of all water systems to be carried out”.

All training has been suspended while the work is carried out with Police Scotland confirming the site will remain closed until cleaning and re-testing are completed.

“This temporary closure will allow for a full flush of all water systems to be carried out and further tests done to confirm there is no trace of Legionella bacteria,” said DCC Taylor.

“While we have no confirmed cases and the risk to people remains extremely low, the safety and wellbeing of officers, staff, contractors and visitors to the site is paramount.”

DCC Taylor said that while the “precautionary” closure will impact on probationer training in the short term, it will not affect operational policing.

“We will schedule this essential work to ensure that both our probationer training and wider training courses can resume as soon as possible,” she said.

“The site at Tulliallan is extensive, with complex and ageing pipework. This temporary closure allows us to fully inspect the system, carry out any repair work that may be necessary and allow for a full flush and re-test of the various water supplies across the campus.”