The next phase of building work at Scotland's new crime campus will start early next year.

The contract for the work has been awarded to John Graham Dromore Ltd.

Work began in June on the first part of the £82 million project and is being carried out in three phases. The second phase of work - which covers the Design and Build of the Core and Shell and which this contract will deliver - will begin in February and is expected to be completed in early 2012. The campus will be fully operational in 2013.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "The Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh is well and truly taking shape - and it should strike fear into the gangsters who brings misery to communities right across Scotland.

"Every brick that is laid underlines the Scottish Government's commitment to the campus at Gartcosh and our commitment to tackle serious organised crime, in the face of the most severe public spending cuts in a generation, imposed on Scotland by Westminster.

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"Fighting serious organised crime on behalf of decent people will always be a priority for the Scottish Government. And by bringing together Scotland's law enforcement agencies under one roof, they can better share resources and piece together the information that can help smash criminal networks and bring the gangsters to book."

The Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh is a major construction project that will house Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Service (Glasgow), Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service, HM Revenue & Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency under one roof.

The campus was originally intended to house 800 people, but is now expected to accommodate over 1100 staff. We expect it to be fully occupied by mid-2013.

This is the second of three contracts to provide the campus and relates to the Design and Build of the Core and Shell. The first contract was awarded in June this year and that phase of work is expected to be completed in February 2011 - this second phase of work will begin the same month and is expected to be completed early in 2012.

The contracts include preventative measures to ensure that any security sub-contractor is a member of the Security Industry Authority's Approved Contractor Scheme.

John Graham Dromore Ltd is a major contributor to the Scottish Construction Industry. They were one of five companies to tender for the second of three construction packages.

(GK)