Safety tests for Holyrood wall panels

SCOTTISH Parliament bosses are to put up scaffolding across the Holyrood site to carry out detailed safety inspections of all granite wall panels following the recent storms.

Six of the large panels had to be taken down after the building was battered by high winds two weeks ago. Two had become “partially detached” and four others were removed as a precaution. Inspection of other exposed areas of the controversial £414 million building revealed no further problems.

A notice to building users said that the inspection “will involve the erection of scaffolding in several areas across the campus”.

The parliament also said specialist advisers were to carry out laboratory tests to check the safety of anchor points on the roof of the building used to secure the harnesses worn by abseilers when cleaning windows or carrying out repairs.