£4k of items lost at council offices

Published on Wednesday 4 March 2009 09:13

LAPTOPS, cash and even a pair of sandals are among the items which have gone missing from city council offices in the last two years.

A total of 23 items worth an estimated 4000 have been reported lost or stolen from the council's City Chambers, Chesser Court or Waverley Court offices. As well as two council laptops, two Blackberry phones have also gone missing, along with gifts of champagne, red wine and a crystal vase.

Among the more unusual items to disappear were a pair of sandals, a jar of coffee and a yellow running jacket.

Details of the missing items were released under freedom of information laws.

City leaders today said instances of theft were very rare but insisted they took them seriously. But opposition politicians today called on city leaders to step up security at key council buildings. Councillor Iain Whyte, the city's Tory leader, said: "Some of the things on the list are the sorts of things which are more likely to turn up at a car boot sale.

"However, the council has a duty to put in the types of security measures which protect property, whether it belongs to staff or the taxpayer.

"The other point is that the laptops stolen are not only valuable but also might contain private data so it is something the council has to get on top of."

On the stolen sandals, Cllr White quipped: "I know the Lib Dems are running Edinburgh but I can't believe they're having their property stolen."

The last major problem with thieves at council offices was in 1992 when 1000 of civic gifts were stolen from the City Chambers.

The haul included lead crystal clocks, whisky miniatures and souvenir pens that city leaders stockpiled as gifts they usually presented to dignitaries visiting the Capital or that were taken by councillors and officials when travelling overseas.

Councillor Andrew Burns, the city's Labour leader, said: "There is obviously concern about the loss of council property at any time but it is particularly worrying given the current economic climate and we can ill afford to be suffering losses like this.

"I think there needs to be a tightening up of council procedures."

In 2004 city leaders spent 250,000 on introducing new security measures at the City Chambers amid fears the then-council headquarters could become a target for terrorists or thieves.

The revamp included a new reception area with new lifts, electronic doors and TV screens.

A council spokesman said: "Although instances of theft are very rare, we do, of course, take the matter very seriously."