GLASGOW’S fire chiefs knew that there was a risk of the old Stobhill Hospital being set alight months before it happened.

And it has emerged that thieves had been stripping the building of metal in the months before the building went up in flames on July 31.

At the height of the blaze, around 100 firefighters were working at the scene in Balornock Road, in Springburn.

It came despite efforts strengthened fencing, CCTV and round-the-clock security guards being drafted in to protect the site.

Speaking at a meeting of Glasgow City council’s  East Centre Area Partnership, City of Glasgow station manager, Craig Carenduff said: “We received intelligence at the beginning of the summer that an incident at Stobhill could take place. We had pre-empted it.

“We had heard that kids with too much time on their hands had been getting in and there had been a lot of metal thefts.”

Jim Hymas, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Senior Officer for Glasgow City, added: “To ensure that we can respond as quickly and effectively as possible to an incident, we routinely conduct intelligence gathering visits and pre-prepare a response plan for large buildings or sites which may be at risk of fire.

“The former Stobhill Hospital was no exception.

“Working with our partners, including the NHS, we prepared a robust plan for this site which we were able to call upon when more than 100 firefighters effectively tackled the large fire which took hold on July 31.

“And, while the security of the site and the fire prevention measures installed on private properties is not the responsibility of SFRS, we will always work with duty holders and our partners to offer advice and expertise where needed.”

Police have confirmed that the metal thefts are not connected to the fire but security around the building has been stepped-up again following the fire.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are working alongside Police Scotland and the NHS to try and protect the derelict hospital site from further damage before demolition work.

A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We have been working closely with Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on how we protect the disused buildings on the Stobhill campus from further damage and fire until the buildings are demolished.

“We have taken a range of measures including strengthening fencing and increasing manned security which is on site 24/7.

“We have also increased our CCTV detection across the campus to allow us to respond immediately to any potential issues.”

The fire broke out in the former out-patient and radiology departments and completely destroyed the building.

Nobody was injured during the blaze and no neighbouring buildings had to be evacuated.