POLICE have swept Scottish Parliament toilets for hidden cameras after a suspended Labour MSP was charged with possessing indecent images and banned from the premises.
MSPs and workers in the Edinburgh Parliament were given an update on Friday after news broke that Colin Smyth, who has had his access suspended amid a police investigation, was accused of having installed recording devices in the toilets.
In an email to MSPs and staff, Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone (below) said: "You will have read the deeply concerning reports in the media this morning and we understand the unease and anxiety this will be causing you.
"We can confirm that Police Scotland, with our support, have conducted a full sweep of all toilets and changing rooms in our building and that no covert recording devices have been found. We have also instructed that enhanced additional checks to our existing security sweeps of the building take place going forward.
"Please be assured that our priority is your safety and welfare and please be confident to use the building as you would normally.
"We do realise this is a difficult time for building users and will write with further information later. Do not hesitate to contact us if there is any support or advice we can provide."
A Holyrood source told The National that staff were very concerned about their privacy being violated and were specifically asking for a full sweep to be conducted after further details of Smyth's arrest broke on Thursday evening.
The PA news agency reported that it was understood that Smyth, who was suspended from Labour earlier this month after it emerged he had been charged over the possession of indecent images, had now also been charged with having installed a hidden camera in a toilet at the Scottish Parliament.
Smyth, who has served in a number of frontbench roles under both Anas Sarwar (below) and his predecessor Richard Leonard, issued a statement saying that the allegation came as "an utter shock and one I strongly refute".
He added: "For legal reasons, I can't respond to specific matters or speculation and I appreciated there is a process to go through which I am, of course, fully cooperating with. But I sincerely hope it can be concluded quickly and fairly.
"The speculation and the recent decision by the police to publicly release details of their ongoing inquiries along with my home address has been devastating and has taken a serious toll on my health.
"After my address was published with no warning to my family, I felt I had no choice but to move away to protect them. That has also meant losing the local NHS critical support I ahd been receiving for the past few weeks, making an already difficult time even more distressing."
His parliamentary pass has been suspended, Holyrood bosses confirmed on Thursday evening.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said earlier on Friday: "The whip has been removed from Colin Smyth MSP, pending an investigation.”
“We cannot comment further on this matter while the investigation is ongoing.”
Police Scotland previously said: "On Tuesday, August 5 2025, officers executed a warrant at a property on Marchfield Avenue, Dumfries.
“A 52-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with possession of indecent images. He is due to appear at Dumfries Sheriff Court at a later date.”
