Police Force Facing Hearing Loss Claims

Police officers are preparing to bring personal injury claims after suffering hearing loss as a result of confrontations that took place during Bonfire Night celebrations in Edinburgh last year.

The officers were subjected to 'unprecedented' levels of violence during the confrontations, and eight officers were injured. Thirty-four officers subsequently reported suffering from hearing problems after fireworks were launched at them, and the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has already sought legal advice on behalf of more than half of those affected.

Police Scotland had allegedly bought 10,000 sound suppressors, which protect officers' hearing while still allowing them to communicate. However, these had not been tested by the time police were deployed for the Bonfire Night celebrations and so had not been not issued to officers.

According to the SPF, some of the officers may recover from the issues with their hearing, but it is likely that a few of them will suffer permanent problems.