A MAJOR overhaul of the custody suite at Greenock police office is set to be carried out after inspectors declared that it was of 'particular concern'.

A report found that officers and prisoners have to put up with 'unsuitable conditions' and that there had been no CCTV coverage within the area until a few months ago.

Chief Inspector Debbie Reilly told councillors on Inverclyde's Police and Fire Scrutiny Committee: "It's in dire need of refurbishment."

A medical emergency involving one detainee during the inspection visit resulted in the custody suite being closed as paramedics took an hour to arrive.

The report put before the committee states: "The layout of the custody centre in Greenock was recorded as 'particular concern'."

Ch Insp Reilly told the meeting that both the custody area — which houses 57 cells — and the station in general will be refurbished in February.

She said: "We anticipate that the work will take around six weeks to complete.

"I'm pleased to say that when the changes take effect it will be safer for the individuals who are brought into custody and for the officers who are dealing with these individuals.

"If there's an incident within the custody suite everything stops and you can't process prisoners, so you can have officers and prisoners standing in a stairwell in sweltering heat.

"It's just not ideal at all."

The committee was told that CCTV was being installed in the custody suite for the first time during the visit by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS).

Because of the large size of the cells area Greenock takes prisoners from as far afield as Edinburgh and dealt with 3,971 detainees last year.

It is anticipated that prisoners will be taken to Clydebank and Govan police offices during the refurbishment period.