Battle to save crucial evidence after forensics lab fire-bombed

THE nerve centre of Scotland's forensic criminal investigations network was crippled yesterday after being fire-bombed in what police believe was an organised criminal attack.

The Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) forensics lab in Edinburgh was ablaze for several hours as firefighters battled to save crucial evidence from being destroyed.

Detectives say a masked man threw incendiary devices into the building at about 12:20am, smashing large windows on the office level, before fleeing the scene in a vehicle driven by another man.

Lothian and Borders Police have confirmed they are now investigating whether criminal elements were attempting to destroy crucial forensic evidence.

The SPSA insisted last night that nothing relating to criminal cases had been destroyed.

The lab is one of the busiest in Scotland, employing 60 highly trained staff and supplying 20 per cent of the total forensic work carried out by all eight Scottish forces.

Staff deal with about 150 forensics cases each week, and it provides toxicology analysis for the whole of Scotland.

Police depend on the specialist work of the SPSA – which has four offices in Scotland – to help them track down suspects.

Prosecutors rely on this expert evidence in court to bring criminals them to justice.

Chief Inspector John Rae from Lothian and Borders Police said that the force was not ruling out the possibility that an organised criminal group targeted the laboratory in an attempt to destroy evidence.

He said: "With regards to anyone attacking that facility, it's reasonable to suggest that is a possible motive.

"We are certainly not ruling anything out. It is a very unusual crime and a very bold one. There is a lot of security in these buildings.

"It has caught everyone unaware. This is the first attack on any of the forensic labs and it takes a pretty bold attempt.

"We are certainly not looking at it as an act of vandalism – it's not your average drunk coming out of the pub and putting a brick through the window."

CI Rae added that the incident was now a "major inquiry".

SPSA also provides support to forces across Scotland, as well as the Crown Office and the Procurator-Fiscal. Its experts' primary role is in forensic investigation of crime scenes, covering everything from break-ins to murders.

Speaking at the scene of the fire, Tom Nelson, SPSA director of forensic services in Scotland, said: "The initial assessment is that no productions have been lost. Two office rooms were fire damaged and the rest of the building suffered smoke damage.

"We will work to make sure this locus is back up and running again as soon as possible."

He said that the service would deal with cases that have court dates as a priority, outsourcing them to other labs if necessary.

Detectives hunting the masked man last night issued a description of him: he was said to be 5ft 6in, of thin build, and wearing a dark top.