Police have been told environmental testing results ordered on a "rush basis" after reports of uninhabitable conditions at Hamilton Police Station should be ready tomorrow.

The service called in Bermuda Water Consultants to conduct independent tests after an expert who visited the station last week as part of a court case against Government told this newspaper there was so much mould, officers should be wearing masks.

The court case was launched by Detective Constable Emmerson Donald, who believes his kidney and internal problems have been caused by mould at Hamilton and Somerset Police Stations.

He is fighting to have Government found liable for his illness, and tests were conducted at both stations last week by experts called in by his lawyer.

Giving his preliminary findings, one of the experts, toxicology specialist Jack Thrasher, said: "The condition of Hamilton Police Station is such that the officers who work in the station should be wearing protective breathing masks in order to protect themselves from the air contamination resulting from the microbial growth in the building. The building should be torn down, it is not habitable."

Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Wright issued a press release after The Royal Gazette ran the story on Friday, saying: "In light of the concerns reported in the media today, the Commissioner has ordered that another follow-up inspection of Hamilton and Somerset Police Stations be conducted by BWC as an independent company not connected with the current civil litigation.

"Discussions with the management of BWC were conducted first thing this morning and I am pleased to report that the testing will commence immediately today. I have agreed with BWC that in order to facilitate a quick response, they will provide me with an immediate verbal report in the event they find levels of contamination to support the opinions expressed by the private consultants. I will of course keep you all updated on any developments. In the interim, the stations will remain open in line with the course of action agreed as a result of the last independent inspection."

Concerns about working conditions at the Hamilton station date back to 1978, when the building was first condemned. A November 2006 report conducted for the Police service by Bermuda Water Consultants which was leaked to the Mid-Ocean News reported high counts of mould throughout the premises.

According to Mr. Wright, the service has spent $78,000 on its testing programme, and the 2006 assessment prompted renovations to Police premises. There were follow-up inspections in 2008.

On Friday afternoon, he issued a further update to all Police officers, reserve officers and support staff saying: "I am pleased to report that Bermuda Water Consultants (BWC) Ltd. provided an immediate response to our call for service today.

"Technicians have now completed on-site assessments of both the Hamilton and Somerset Police Stations and have taken air and surface samples for testing. Sample analyses are being conducted on a 'rush' basis and I have been assured that a verbal report on preliminary results will be available by Wednesday, 13 October, 2010."

He pledged to keep staff informed as more information becomes available.

Meanwhile, Det. Con. Donald's lawyer, Richard Horseman, said the full results of the tests conducted last week will not be available for some time.

"We will be moving the matter forward now in the courts," he said yesterday, though he declined to comment further.