Court business disrupted as wind damages roof at Civic Centre Police hunt for sex attacker
part of the roof at West Lothian Civic Centre in Livingston was blown off by strong winds at the weekend.
The damage is believed to be at the custody suite in the court, where a new pitched roof is being installed.
The leaking roof led to water damage in Livingston Sheriff Court and there was no access to the cells.
Business continuity plans were activated and Sheriff Court and Justice of the peace Court criminal business due to take place were being diverted to call in Edinburgh, or will were being dealt with administratively.
Civil proceedings were unaffected. A spokesperson for the Scottish Courts said on Monday:“The situation has been reviewed this morning and work has to be done on the roof to make it safe.
“The cells will remain closed tomorrow and the continuity plans will continue to be used with some business being transferred to Edinburgh but most being dealt with administratively.
“The court building and public counters will be open tomorrow and courts will continue to hear civil business.”
The repair bill is unknown at this stage but will be covered by the building’s insurance.
The civic centre at Howden South Road in Livingston is West Lothian Council’s headquarters but other organisations are housed within the building, including police Scotland, Livingston Sheriff Court and Justice of the peace Court, Crown Office and procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and West Lothian Health and Social Care partnership.
A council spokesman said: “A section of a new pitched roof that is currently under construction was damaged by the wind in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“Staff from the civic centre partners were onsite to deal with the matter and contingency plans have been put in place. Work is now being undertaken to repair the damage.
“There is no impact on customers using services at the civic centre.”
Police in West Lothian are investigating after a woman was seriously sexually assaulted in Linlithgow at the weekend.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning near the Old Post Office Bar.
The area around the Old Post Office on Linlithgow High Street was cordoned off and a police van sat outside for most of the day on Sunday as officers carried out investigations.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police in West Lothian are investigating a report that a 29-year-old woman was the victim of a serious sexual assault in the High Street area of Linlithgow in the early hours of Sunday, February 23.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”