Forensic lab staff voice closure fears

Forensic scientists who have helped solve cases like the Vicky Hamilton murder could be uprooted from the Capital and relocated to Lanarkshire, depending on decisions to be made following a review due out within the next few days.

The Edinburgh lab at Howdenhall, which employs about 60 people, is one of four police forensic centres in Scotland.

The premises required extensive repairs after a firebomb attack in February. Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes said: "It would be a shame if the services provided at this laboratory survived an attack by criminals but succumbed to a review by bureaucrats."

Earlier this year, the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) - which is charge of the forensic service - said it had "no current plans" to close Howdenhall, but with a new 23 million lab just opened in Dundee and work under way on a massive FBI-style crime campus at Gartcosh, staff in the Capital are worried their base could be shut down.

Lord Foulkes said centralising the forensic service could mean delays, samples being damaged in transit and potential arrests being missed.

He said: "Staff are worried about the effect it would have if everything was centralised."

One option is thought to involve retaining four centres, but with each one specialising in a certain aspect of forensics.

However, insiders say that would mean police no longer had access to the flexible, local and comprehensive service they currently enjoy and it could still mean job losses or upheaval for staff who did not fit the required fields.

Lord Foulkes has written to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, arguing there must be no rush to decide on the future of the service.

He wrote: "Forensics staff across the country have worked hard to ensure this process is fair and transparent.

"I would therefore like assurance that no final decision will be taken during parliamentary recess on the future of forensic services."

An SPSA spokesman said a report was due to be published this week

He said: "We will be looking to engage with our staff and our customers over the summer with a view to putting a recommendation to the Scottish Government in early September about what the shape of the service might be."

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