'TEMPORARY supports' are being used to prop up parts of the roof at Helensburgh's fire station as a safety measure, officials have confirmed.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in the construction of the building - and 13 other fire stations across Scotland, fire chiefs have confirmed.

Concerns had been raised previously about repairs needed at the South King Street station - and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it would be best to rebuild the affected stations.

But they say they do not have the money to do so.

RAAC shot to the public's attention last week as more than 100 schools in England were shut because of the risk posed by the material, which was used in the construction of many public buildings between the 1950s and 1990s.

Now there is a dash to determine which buildings may have it, and what is needed to ensure their safety.

READ MORE: Argyll and Bute Council confirm Helensburgh primary has RAAC concrete

Argyll and Bute Council confirmed on Monday that "mitigation" measures had been put in place at John Logie Baird Primary School in Helensburgh because of the presence of RAAC.

Iain Morris, SFRS's acting director of asset management, said: "The safety of our staff is paramount and immediate action was taken as soon as defects to the roof construction were identified in 14 of our sites in 2019.

"We have in place temporary supports to reinforce areas of the roofing and we have maintained operations from these locations. We will continue to monitor these measures.

"In most cases, the safest and most cost-effective solution is to rebuild.

"However, as a service we do not have the necessary capital budget provision to rebuild these locations or meet the continuing capital backlog to maintain or upgrade our estate."

Helensburgh and Lomond's MSP, Jackie Baillie, previously called for the Scottish Government to bring forward an emergency plan to refurbish the country's fire estate, including Helensburgh.

READ MORE: Helensburgh and Lomond fire stations: Alarm raised at 'public safety'

She said 220 stations were in poor or bad condition, more than 150 do not have any shower facilities and more than 100 lack drying facilities.

Eleven have no water supply at all.

Helensburgh fire station was identified as needing urgent maintenace because of its flat roof, which was built using RAAC. The estimated cost is £7 million.

Ms Baillie said: “It is incredibly concerning that schools in England have been forced to close at such short notice.

“The same material which is forcing these closures has been identified in buildings across Scotland including at Helensburgh fire station.

"The SNP government needs to be robust in its response and provide cast iron guarantees that buildings with confirmed RAAC are indeed safe and, if they are not, to take urgent measures to provide suitable alternative accommodation.

“The type of upheaval being seen in England cannot be replicated here, especially when our emergency fire service is involved.

"This could have a direct impact on the safety of both staff and the wider community if it is not dealt with properly.”

First Minister Humza Yousaf told the PA news agency this week that a desk-based review of collapse-prone concrete will likely take “some months”, but stressed that mitigations will be put in place where there is risk.

He said: “It was important to do the desk-based review, but it’s also fair to say that where sites feel there needs to be a physical investigation, then there will be a physical investigation if that’s required.

“Given the size of the estate we’re looking at, it will take some months to complete that fully.

“But, of course, it’s not a binary, it’s an evolving picture.

“Local authorities have given us returns for around 35 schools that tell us they have RAAC in them and mitigations have been put in place to ensure that there is no immediate safety concerns for either the pupils or the staff that work there.”