THREE firefighters have been sacked after hundreds of students were left outside their accommodation in freezing weather following a false alarm.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said that, after an internal investigation and disciplinary proceedings, three staff had been dismissed. A further two have received final written warnings.

On 21 November, a fire crew was called to what turned out to be a false alarm at Buchanan View student accommodation in Calgary Street, Glasgow.

The crew, from Cowcaddens Fire Station, arrived just after midnight and no fire was discovered in the building. But students were not allowed back in until 3am, with no explanation given for the delay. One student was taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia.

Another student, John Houston, said: “When the fire alarm went off, we went outside and there were three fire engines there. It had started raining and was very cold. After about 40 minutes, we were told that we might have to wait another one and a half hours to get back in.

“All the people waiting outside were obviously very annoyed and the rain was getting heavier. I had on a T-shirt, jumper and my coat, but I was still very cold.”

Eight firefighters were suspended following the incident. Five have been disciplined, with no action against the other three. A Strathclyde Fire and Rescue spokesman said the disciplinary action followed “a number of complaints from members of the public about the conduct of some of our personnel”.

Nine other officers from the same station were disciplined in a separate incident last summer when they refused to hand out leaflets at a gay-pride march.

They were given written warnings about their conduct and were ordered to take part in diversity training. The latest incident led to a string of complaints from students about the conduct of the fire crew.

Unite, which owns and manages the student accommodation, said it had been obliged to pass on the concerns to the service. A spokeswoman said: “Whilst no fire was discovered, the conduct by some members of the fire brigade team was reported by some of the resident students.

“Unite’s priority is for the welfare and safety of the customers, especially as many of them are living away from home for the first time. We were, therefore, obligated to process these complaints with the fire brigade.

“Unite has worked closely with the fire brigade during their thorough investigation and appreciate the professionalism shown by all parties concerned.

“We respect the fire brigade’s decision and will continue to work closely with them to ensure the continued safety and welfare of our customers.”

But union leaders expressed concern at the sacking of three officers. Ken Ross, the Scottish secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “We are extremely disappointed the Strathclyde brigade has taken this action.

“We will be fully supporting these officers as they appeal against their dismissals.”

Mr Ross said the union had growing concerns about the way disciplinary procedures were being handled.

He said five firefighters had lost their jobs in Scotland in the past three months, compared with just one in the previous 13 years.

“We are concerned that there is a change in how management are dealing with complaints and the actions that they are taking,” Mr Ross said.