Toxic waste found near Hampden

Hampden will host the Champions League Final in May

Bosses at Scotland's national stadium say toxic chemicals found nearby will be removed in time for the prestige European Champions football final in May.

Dangerous chromium compounds were discovered in an embankment near Hampden Park on the southside of Glasgow.

Specialist contractors are working to remove the waste from the 60 metre-long site, which is part of the Lesser Hampden grounds.

It's a bit of a mixed blessing in a way, if it hadn't been for the final then it would still be lying there

Queen's Park Football Club spokesman

Officials from Queen's Park Football Club, which plays on the grounds, said the waste would be cleaned up well before the cup final on 15 May.

A spokesman said: "It was discovered within the last few weeks during preparatory works for the Champions League Final.

"It's a bit of a mixed blessing in a way, if it hadn't been for the final then it would still be lying there.

"I think we can say it has been there for at least 80 years.

"If Lesser Hampden was opened in 1925 the material in the embankment must have been lying there all that time.

"You will find that large areas of Glasgow's south side were filled with material taken from metal works which builders would have used as foundation."

Landfill site

Environment experts confirmed that soil containing chromium had been found on the site but said it was not in dangerous quantities.

But a spokeswoman for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency said: "Independent analysis showed that the amount of chromium in the soil was not sufficiently high for the waste to be classified as special waste.

"We were made aware of the proposal to remove this material although there is not requirement to notify the agency about the carriage and disposal of this waste."

Officials estimate that around 600 cubic metres of soil is being removed from the site and will be taken to Shanks landfill site at Greengairs, Lanarkshire, for disposal.

Uefa had revealed in 1999 that the 2002 match would be held in Hampden Park stadium following its £63m facelift.

It will be the first time since Bayern Munich beat St Etienne in 1976 that Glasgow has staged the final of the competition.