Legionnaires’ link firm set to axe 20 jobs

A CHEMICAL firm at the centre of last year’s legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Capital is set to lay off around 20 members of staff.

Gorgie-based Macfarlan Smith said the workers were to be made redundant at the end of this month, while some areas of its plant may be taken “offline” for a period of time.

A spokeswoman claimed the measures were part of restructuring due to increased competition from UK and European markets.

Cooling towers in the Wheatfield Road area of Gorgie were pinpointed as the “most likely” source of the outbreak. Macfarlan Smith and the North British Distillery were served with improvement notices by the Health and Safety Executive.