Metal falls from council building

The council offices are in the Royal Mile

An investigation has begun after a large piece of metalwork fell four storeys to the ground from Edinburgh City Council's headquarters.

The object, part of the building's guttering system, dropped from just below roof level.

The incident is an embarrassment for councillors and officials who have been campaigning for property owners to give a higher priority to maintenance.

In June 2000, an Australian waitress was killed by a two-foot long coping stone that fell from a building in the city centre.

The cause of Wednesday's incident at the city chambers in the Royal Mile is being investigated.

The rest of the building has been checked and a section of ronepipe removed as a precaution.

Earlier this year, the council sent letters to 200 establishments asking owners to take care of the buildings.

A council spokeswoman said that its buildings were surveyed every five years, in accordance with British Standards.

This was last carried out in 1999.