Health board officials have been questioned by a Scottish Parliament committee about their decision to approve a secure unit for dangerous patients - despite being asked to wait.

MSPs on the public petitions committee wanted Greater Glasgow Health Board to postpone a decision on the unit at Stobhill Hospital while it heard from local people objecting to the plan

They were worried that the secure unit could house rapists and paedophiles.

But the board agreed to press ahead - on the same day last month that MSPs took evidence from opponents.

Politicians attacked the officials. Tory Mary Scanlon MSP said: "Why at that point when your reputations were so damaged did you then decide to ignore the convenor of the pertitions committtee and also the health committtee. Had you not learned anything?"

Chris Spry of Greater Glasgow Health Board said: "We opted for one decision and people were saying did you make the right choice.

"Well maybe we did and maybe we didn't, but we acted in good faith rather than some cocking a snook at the parliament. We were certainly not in that frame of mind at all."

Plans for the £12.5m secure care centre at Stobhill first emerged in 1998. They were rejected at the time for being "unsuitable" but were revived last year.

It is understood the unit would house up to 76 mentally ill offenders - about a quarter of which would come from the State Hospital at Carstairs.

Threat 'reduced'

The local community insists these patients would represent a danger to the public and point to the fact that there are three primary schools in the vicinity of Stobhill.

But health professionals insist the threat is being overplayed and, if anything, the risk to the wider community would be reduced.

They stress that security would be high and patients would be checked every hour, visitors would be searched and a CCTV system would be in operation.

Mr Martin said he remained worried by the transfer of patients from Carstairs, particularly murderers and sex offenders, even though they had been deemed to be only a medium risk.

It is understood construction work could begin later this year.

The health board has already faced criticism from the parliament's health committee, which accused it of failing to consult the public properly. The full findings of that inquiry are due out next week.