AN incident in which an officer accidently fired a gun in a police station has been described as negligent by a watchdog.
The officer discharged the weapon within the firearms room at Ayr police office on March 23.
No-one was injured and the bullet struck a brick wall. However, the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner has ruled the incident was preventable.
It also found stringent firearms procedures put in place by Police Scotland were not followed.
The commissioner ruled that had they been, the incident would not have happened.
Police Scotland confirmed it had already re-emphasised the importance of adhering to firearms guidance following the incident.
Commissioner Professor John McNeill said: "I am pleased Police Scotland has taken action to re-emphasise to all its firearms officers the importance of adherence to firearms safety procedures following this incident."
As part of the investigation, staff from the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner interviewed the officer responsible for the weapon discharge.
They also reviewed witness statements, examined documentation, productions and command and control records.
The watchdog investigates all incidents involving the use of a firearm by a Police Scotland officer.
A similar incident happened in an Edinburgh police station last month. A bullet lodged in the wall of Gayfield station after a home-made gun went off as it was being inspected by forensic experts.
The watchdog is also investigating this incident, as is the Health and Safety Executive.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Strict processes and procedures are in place that should be followed when weapons are being handled.
"During the course of cleaning a weapon those processes were not adhered to.
"Following the Commissioner investigation there is no requirement for Police Scotland to amend the processes referred to."
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