THE ground was broken as work started on a new £6.4 million Scottish Epilepsy Centre in Govan.

The first sod was cut on the site of the independent 12-bed hospital – the first of its kind in Scotland – which is being built for Quarriers.

The charity's chief executive, Paul Moore, was joined by Scottish bakery boss Boyd Tunnock, who donated £40,000 to fund a consulting room at the centre.

The Scottish Epilepsy Centre (SEC), near the Institute of Neurology at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, will replace the charity's existing centre in Quarrier's Village near Bridge of Weir, which was built in 1970.

When it opens in spring 2013, the SEC will be one of the most advanced epilepsy centres in the world.

The majority of Scotland's trainee neurologists will be offered placements at the centre, which will also deliver training for GPS and nurses and conduct research into the debilitating brain condition.

It is estimated 54,000 people in Scotland have the condition.

Mr Moore said: "Today represents another significant milestone for Quarriers' work supporting people living with epilepsy.

"We have been involved in epilepsy services for over a century and currently assess more than 100 people each year.

"The new SEC in Govan will be a centre of excellence and enable the charity to be at the forefront of assessment and diagnosis of epilepsy in the UK and further afield."

William Quarrier, the charity's founder, first became interested in the plight of those living with epilepsy in the 1900s when a Colony of Mercy was established in Quarrier's Village.

Since then the charity has treated thousands of sufferers.

The new SEC will be built by Dawn Construction.

Funding for the SEC has come from a number of sources including the NHS.

The SEC caused controversy in 2009 as Glasgow City Council received 196 objections to the plans.

Despite the opposition, Quarriers received permission to demolish Elder Park Primary and build the SEC on the site.

Most of the objections called for the Victorian sandstone building, which opened in 1899, to be retained.

Experts decided it was not suitable to convert the St Kenneth Drive building.

stef.lach@ heraldandtimes.co.uk