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Expensive gym equipment has been lying unused for over six months as Falkirk Council didn’t have the cash to train staff to use the machines.

Boditrax body scanners were purchased last summer for the local authority’s gyms, including in Camelon’s Mariner Centre and Grangemouth Sports Complex, but since then have remained wrapped up with a message on them saying they were not yet ready for customer use.

It is understood that staff hadn’t been trained to use the complex machines which can, in around 30 seconds, provide an analysis of your overall health. The machines are currently in use across the country in hospitals, gyms and used by top football clubs and sports team.

The machines, which cost several thousand pounds, can measure weight, segmental muscle and fat, metabolic efficiency and metabolic age.

Boditrax scanning machine lying unused in the Mariner Centre gym for over six months.

The council now say they have finally received confirmation of external funding which will allow them put the machines into use “within the next few weeks”.

It comes as the local authority has concluded its public consultation on the proposed community transfer or closure of 133 buildings, including many sporting and leisure facilities. A decision is due to be made on March 29.

A spokesperson for Falkirk Council’s leisure and cultural services said: “These machines were purchased to allow us to access advanced health data to support our customers health and wellbeing information. This equipment is highly advanced and innovative and needs to be utilised and managed correctly.

"After they arrived, we applied for external funding to support their utilisation, particularly within weight management groups and with NHS Forth Valley. The funding panel involved take a period of time to review, grade and then award the funding accordingly and we were pleased to hear we were successful just at the end of last year.

The Boditrax machine remains wrapped up and not in use

“Weight management within Forth Valley are currently gaining suitable customer referrals to enable us to successfully launch this new equipment within our venues and the equipment will be available within the next few weeks. Unfortunately all of this has taken longer than expected and we are equally disappointed that we haven’t been able to introduce them before now.

"However when we do so they will be a great asset to our existing health and well being initiative throughout our health and fitness venues.”

Falkirk Council: Expensive gym equipment lies unused for months