Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Laura Paterson

Body found in burnt out Pets at Home store after 'suspicious' fire

A body has been discovered inside a pet shop devastated by a fire which police believe may have been started deliberately.

The blaze at a Pets at Home outlet in Perth, Scotland, sparked a huge rescue operation, with 63 animals taken to safety.

Ten fire engines were called to St Catherine's Retail Park at 2am on August 24.

Police are treating the fire as suspicious, and while carrying out their investigation said last week they had reason to believe a body may be in one of the burnt out shops.

The force confirmed the find on Sunday evening.

Investigators believe the fire may have been started deliberately (Perthshire Advertiser)

A total of 63 pets were evacuated from the Pets at Home store while dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze, which also affected B&M and a vacant outlet.

Perth and Kinross Local Area Commander Chief Inspector Ian Scott, said: "As communicated at the end of last week, our enquiries gave us reason to believe that there may be a person within the building.

"Our investigation into the fire has therefore been conducted with this possibility in mind.

"Formal identification of the body found has yet to take place, however, we believe that we know the identity of the individual, and specialist officers are providing support to their family at this time.

"The damage to the building is extensive and we are working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other partners to establish the full circumstances."

He said police will maintain a presence at the scene until the investigation is complete, which he warned may take some time.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.