Police Scotland are buying new “Disaster Victim Identification shelters” to be used in the event of a “mass fatality incident.”

The shelters would be used by officers following an incident that leads to a high number of deaths.

The portable, tent-style structures would be used to house bodies where they can then be identified.

Police have not given examples of what type of incident they envisage the shelters being used for but examples could include a terrorist attack, an explosion or a plane crash.

The purchase is part of the Police preparedness planning for a mass fatality incident or another major incident that requires a large police response.

The new shelters are to replace ones that are no longer fit for purpose.

The tents provide a protected space for Disaster Victim Identification officers to work whilst they recover bodies from an incident.

Police Scotland said they need to have a number of tents of different sizes to allow a response to a variety of incidents and different locations.

A tender has been issues for the shelters with a cost of £115,000.

The tender is for one large and three smaller shelters with the option of buying more over a two year period.

The large shelter is to be 6.7m by 5.4 metres and the smaller ones 3.7 by 4.2 metres.

They would be used by Specialist Crime Division, Major Crime, Major Incident Support and Co-ordination Unit,

The contract specifies the shelter design must allow “high speed deployment” and be fire retardant and have windows for ventilation in warm weather.

The shelters would give officers at a disaster or mass fatality incident a workplace and wear they can change PPE, make records of activity carried out when recovering and moving bodies,

It is also intended they provide an element of respect to the deceased when police are carrying out this process.