Moray residents feared the worst when they saw a pair of fire engines parked outside Elgin police station in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Crews were called to the building after a mystery smell was reported by officers.
Two fire engines and a support vehicle from Elgin were dispatched after a “sulphurous” odour was detected.
But after carrying out a thorough check of the building firefighters confirmed that the station was in no danger.
One fire engine was also summoned from Huntly, but was stood down before it reached Elgin.
A fire service spokesman said: “We received a call from the police reporting the smell of sulphur in the station.
“There were three appliances sent out along with an incident support vehicle.
“They traced the smell of sulphur to a battery store that was used in conjunction with radio communications within the station.
“The battery store was investigated by two firefighters in breathing apparatus and they used a thermal camera.
“They were then assessed by an engineer, but there was no ill-effects to anyone.”
A police spokesman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended Elgin police station.
“There was no threat to anyone’s safety.”
One witness, who did not wish to be named, said she was travelling through the town with her daughter when they saw the fire engines.
She said: “When we saw the fire engines we imagined all sorts, like a bomb scare or an incident where a prisoner may have set something on fire, so we’re relieved to hear it was only a minor event.”