Dumfries school campus works officially launched

The campus will have capacity for nearly 1,000 pupils when it is completed

A launch ceremony has been held to officially mark the start of works on a £28m school campus in Dumfries.

Staff and pupils from Lochside and St Ninian's primary schools, Langlands special secondary school and Maxwelltown High School attended.

The new site will have capacity for nearly 1,000 pupils, aged from three to 18, from all of those schools.

It is hoped the facility, part of a wider overhaul of education in the town, will be completed by June 2018.

Pupils from four schools which will move to the new campus attended the event

Jeff Leaver, who chairs the council's education committee, said: "We want our young people to get the most from their education, which means creating environments that stimulate and encourage learning for years to come.

"I'm delighted that work has now started on our new school."

Council leader Ronnie Nicholson described it as a "significant step forward" for the scheme and a "very exciting time" for students.

Gary Holmes, regional director of Graham Construction, said the Dumfries project was one of the largest it had undertaken but it was "relishing" the challenge.

Michael Mcbrearty, chief executive of public-private partnership hub South West, added that the launch event was a "fantastic way" to engage with the community and pupils.