Ex police officer sues force over fear of sirens

A former police officer is suing the Lothian and Borders force, claiming a training exercise left her scared of sirens. Louise McGarva is seeking £500,000, alleging she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after taking part in a simulated riot that spiralled out of control.

She said she had been left with a fear of police cars and sirens after being crushed during the riot training in a former hospital building in West Lothian. Lawyers for the 35-year-old allege that eight officers were left injured during the exercise after their instructors attacked them with “baseball bats, long batons and martial arts”, using “excessive” force.



Ms McGarva said she repeatedly passed out after being crushed in the melee while an officer giving her medical assistance allegedly told her she had “had it” and was going to die. The former officer, who retired on grounds of ill-health, said the incident left her suffering from nightmares and flashbacks, as well as depression and panic attacks, and she needed psychological treatment at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Police chiefs deny that the course had descended into a real-life riot, and contend that Ms McGarva already had a “history of psychological injury”, including the need for stress counselling following her involvement in a child death inquiry in 2004. Ms McGarva launched the legal action, against Chief Constable David Strang, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh alleging that the course’s instructors were negligent.