Police officers were unable to test Stormont suspected drugs bags as kits were undergoing 'health and safety review'
Police officers who investigated suspected drugs bags found at Stormont were unable to test them on the spot for illegal substances as the Home Office approved kits were undergoing a “health and safety review” by the PSNI at the time, it has emerged.
Earlier this month, the News Letter reported that paraphernalia believed to be connected to drug use was discovered “during the routine servicing of a sanitary bin” on the ground floor.
It was uncovered through an Assembly question by the Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows, who was told by Assembly authorities that the bags contained insufficient residue for forensic testing to take place – but they were recorded as “suspected drug-related paraphernalia”.
This newspaper had asked police if it could confirm whether there was any attempt to test the bags for illegal substances. Initially, a PSNI spokesperson said that “no illegal substances were detected on this occasion due to insignificant evidence available to officers”.
When asked about the difference between an evidential sample and a swipe test to confirm the presence of drugs – and whether such field testing was available to officers and why it wasn’t used – the PSNI said it wasn’t available at that time of the August find.
“At the time of this discovery, PSNI was undertaking a health and safety review of Home Office approved drug test kits. They were therefore not available for officers to use”, a spokesperson said.
In response to a question from the UUP North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, the Assembly Commission which runs Parliament Buildings said: “One incident was recorded during the last 12 months. On 6 August 2026, a number of small bags were discovered during the routine servicing of a sanitary bin in the Changing Places facility on the ground floor of Parliament Buildings.
“There was insufficient residue or material within the bags to allow forensic testing to be undertaken, and no controlled substance was identified or confirmed by the PSNI. The items were therefore recorded as suspected drug-related paraphernalia, but it could not be established that illegal drugs had been present”.
The North Antrim MLA had asked the commission to detail any incidents where suspected illegal drugs, packaging or paraphernalia had been found in Parliament Buildings in the last 12 months. Police said they had investigated no other such incidents during that same 12 month period.
Mr Burrows said earlier this month that “the institution that makes the law should hold itself to the highest standards in applying it.”
The incident came a year after a spate of other anti-social behaviour incidents in Parliament Buildings was brought to light by the TUV MLA Timothy Gaston – who had discovered incidents where sinks had been deliberately blocked and taps left running in toilets.
He called the situation “absolutely disgraceful”. Assembly officials increased surveillance, however, no culprit was ever apprehended.
Mr Gaston said the incidents showed a “total lack of respect” to the Assembly's cleaning staff and the institution itself.