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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Jenny Foulds

Police launch investigation into 'suspicious' fire at Helensburgh school

Police are treating a fire which engulfed a derelict school building in Helensburgh as suspicious.

Emergency crews raced to Hermitage Primary in the early hours of Tuesday morning after receiving multiple calls from members of the public.

Officers are now appealing for information, saying early indications are that the fire was started deliberately.

The blaze broke out in an empty annexe to the rear of the school, with the alarm raised just before 5am.

The school itself was closed for the Easter holidays.

No-one was injured and the building has been extensively damaged in the fire.

An investigation is under way to establish the cause of the fire.

Enquiries are ongoing and officers are asking members of the public who may have been in the vicinity at the time to get in touch with any information, private CCTV or dashcam footage which may assist.

Officers are investigating the cause (Lennox Herald)

Detective Sergeant Nicky Beattie of Clydebank CID said: “We are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to contact us.

“Did you see anyone acting strangely or did you see anyone hanging around outside the building? Any small piece of information could assist us.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 4.56am on Tuesday, April 12 to reports of a building on fire at East Argyle Street, Helensburgh.

“Operations Control mobilised six fire engines and two height vehicles to the scene where a fire is affecting a derelict building.”

Demolition of the damaged building is now underway.

A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “Services from across the council have been working together, and with our emergency services partners, in responding to the fire in the annexe of Hermitage Primary School.

“Our education, property, building standards and health and safety services are all involved in assessing and progressing action needed now that the fire is out.

“This includes arranging for demolition of the annexe, which began on Tuesday evening.

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch (Lennox Herald)

“We will continue to make any arrangements needed for Hermitage Primary School staff and pupils when schools return on April 19.

“Based on inspections to date, we expect Hermitage Primary School to re-open as planned on Tuesday 19th.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0362 of 12 April, 2022.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

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