Work begins on fire service centre

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has broken ground at its new multi-million-pound training facility in Newbridge, west of Edinburgh. It is due to open early next year.

The new centre at the East Service Delivery Headquarters will train more than 1,600 firefighters every year, including rope rescue and specialist disaster training.

A turf-cutting ceremony that marked the first phase of construction was led by Annabelle Ewing, the community safety and legal affairs minister yesterday.