A DANGEROUS travellers camp which left Johnstone residents living in fear has been earmarked for demolition. The swift decision to demolish the abandoned site, set up at the former NHS-owned old Merchiston Hospital near Brookfield, has been confirmed by the health board amid fears of an explosion.

Police and fire crews were called to attend the derelict NHS site after members of the travelling community had taken residence there before abandoning the town - leaving lethal Calor Gas canisters and jerry cans full of petrol lay strewn amongst the debris.

The potentially-fatal combination of gas and highly-flammable liquids in such close proximity also prompted an engineer from the Scottish Gas Network to investigate the site.

Following a 30-minute long inspection, he gave the hospital the all-clear, however smashed glass, garden refuse, empty beer bottles and other rubbish are now strewn across the grounds of the hospital, which was once home to mentally-ill patients.

All the lead had also been stripped off the roofs of the hospital's various buildings, while drain covers, metal grates and the piping from the various buildings' boiler rooms had also been taken. It's thought this will be sold on as scrap metal.

The recent decision to demolish the site will come as a relief for local residents who live near the eyesore site - which has been likened to "a dumping ground" by local SNP councillor Audrey Doig.

Landowners Argyll and Clyde Health Board have announced that plans for demolition will begin over the next four weeks.

However one 85-year-old resident, who has asked not to be named, has said that the move will only be positive if the health board clean up the remaining area once the site is torn down.

The pensioner said he had previously alerted the police, fire brigade and health board amid concerns that the site was becoming a health and security hazard to those living in the area.

He said: "I am happy to hear that this site is now being demolished. I spoke with the health board last week and I think this is a positive step.

"However what I feel residents want to know now is whether or not the board will clean up the site once the demolition is over.

"It's a complete eyesore and once it is demolished it is bound to be even worse. I hope that they are as quick to shift the debris and rubble on the site as quick as they were to finalise the demolition."

Councillor Audrey Doig has also welcomed the decision for demolition but also voiced her concerns over the security of the site and how it could become a danger for children during the Easter break.

She said: "Like the residents, I have concerns over the site remaining secure while the demolition is going on, especially during the Easter holidays when children tend to wander off when they are on their bikes down at the cycle path.

"It may seem like an attractive site for children to go and play and obviously they won't realise the dangers of the site and what sort of hazards there are. It is definitely good news that it is being demolished and I'm certain that the NHS board will do a good job.

"I'm just hoping that it is kept secure away from children before the demolition takes place and that it will no longer be an attraction for the travelling community."

A spokeswoman for the Argyll and Clyde Health Board said: "The buildings at the former Merchiston Hospital site are empty and the site has been declared surplus to requirements.

"The buildings have all been securely boarded up and the site is checked on a regular basis.

"There are plans over the next four weeks to have the remaining buildings on the site demolished."