Aberdeenshire Council HQ closed due to legionella scare

Aberdeenshire Council's headquarters in Aberdeen have been closed following the potential discovery of Legionella.

The "early warning" was raised at Woodhill House on Tuesday during testing of the water supply.

Aberdeenshire Council said no-one had fallen ill. The building will remain closed until an all-clear is given.

Legionella bacteria are commonly found in sources of water, such as rivers and lakes, which sometimes find their way into artificial water supply systems.

The local authority said that the discovery was made as part of routine sampling and testing of the water system at Woodhill House.

In a statement they said: "Specialists are on site cleaning, flushing and re-testing the water. As a result, the building will be closed until the all-clear is provided.

"Plans were put in place to move staff who must have a presence in an office, and Public Health advice is being shared with colleagues."

NHS Grampian, which is investigating a recent spate of "unusual" infections at the nearby Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (RACH), said it was not considering Legionella as part of that investigation, and there was no connection between the two incidents.