Asbestos use in indoor firearms ranges

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.024504

I note you seek access to the following information:

Was asbestos used in any of the MPS firearms ranges in use from 1970.

Thank you for the information provided by MPS to my FOI request. With regard to my request I have verbal testimony from a MPS pensioner that there was a firearms range at Old Street Police Station where he undertook his initial four day weapons training in March 1970. In 2011 an independent survey was undertaken by MOLA (Museum of London Architecture) with plans and drawings of changes made over time to the building . In 1967-68 the eastern half of the basement was converted for firearms training and demonstrations. Documents are referenced in this survey which could provide further information on the firearms range.

Maurice Drummond Section House was known to have serious issues with asbestos and there are a number of articles on-line describing the work undertaken by the principal contractor Rees Mellish Ltd., which includes the removal of asbestos before its conversion into a boutique hotel for Periquin Ltd .

Purfleet Range was a "third party" site used by the MPS, but owned by the MOD until sold to Thurrock Council. Why was it omitted from the FOI official investigation document entitled "Operation Flagstad" issued October 2019 on "Firearms Training - Review of Potential Asbestos Exposure at Third Party Site" - January 2018.

No information regarding asbestos use in firearms facilities goes back further than 2004 apart from the first survey undertaken at Lippitts Hill in 1989.

Do you have any information covering the period 1970 to 1985 for any of the firearms facilities in my Freedom of Information Request?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Request 1 - Was asbestos used in any of the MPS firearms ranges in use from 1970.

The MPS do not hold copies of any previous policies or standard documents for the construction of MPS Firing Ranges used in the 1970’s. The original range design standards for MPS ranges were based on the MOD JSP 403 standards, later transferring to the NPIA and then the “College of Policing” (CoP) handbook of Police Range Safety and construction, which is now the current national Police Ranges design document.

Request 2 - With regards to my request I have verbal testimony from a MPS pensioner that there was a firearms range at Old Street Police Station where he undertook his initial four day weapons training in March 1970. In 2011 an independent survey was undertaken by MOLA (Museum of London Architecture) with plans and drawings of changes made over time to the building. In 1967-68 the eastern half of the basement was converted for firearms training and demonstrations. Documents are referenced in this survey which could provide further information on the firearms range.

Under the FOIA legislation we are required to provide information that is held by our organisation (MPS). We are not able to comment on surveys or other external information that were obtained for the property after it was sold. We cannot comment on the verbal testimony that you refer to in your question

Maurice Drummond Section House was known to have serious issues with asbestos and there are a number of articles on-line describing the work undertaken by the principal contractor Rees Mellish Ltd., which includes the removal of asbestos before its conversion into a boutique hotel for Periquin Ltd.

Under the FOIA legislation we are required to provide information that is held by our organisation. We are not able to comment on surveys or other external information that were obtained for the property after it was sold as detailed in your statement.

Purfleet Range was a "third party" site used by the MPS, but owned by the MOD until sold to Thurrock Council. Why was it omitted from the FOI official investigation document entitled "Operation Flagstad" issued October 2019 on "Firearms Training - Review of Potential Asbestos Exposure at Third Party Site" - January 2018.

There were over 140 sites where notification was received that firearms training potentially took place. Not all these sites could be verified as they were often not backed by any documentation or evidence that training took place. Purfleet was a third party MOD site that due to the passage of time it was not possible to verify what training took place, who took part and whether any asbestos may have been disturbed during training.

No information regarding asbestos use in firearms facilities goes back further than 2004 apart from the first survey undertaken at Lippitts Hill in 1989.

As per the previous response (019109) asbestos was not used in the construction of the open air ranges at Lippitts Hill. Therefore further asbestos surveys covering the Firing Ranges area were not required. In 2007 a full site Type 2 Management Survey was commissioned and undertaken, which again did not find any Asbestos in the old Firing Ranges area at Lippitts Hill.

Do you have any information covering the period 1970 to 1985 for any of the firearms facilities in my Freedom of Information Request?

The MPS do not hold information that covers the period 1970 to 1985.