Stairway rubbish blamed for inferno

Residents believe a heap of discarded items and rubbish at the foot of their building’s stairs may have been responsible for the recent blaze.

The burnt-out objects were clearly visible from the street at Lordburn Place yesterday morning, with a bike frame poking out of the debris, as evacuated residents returned to their homes to assess the damage.

Residents fear the discarded items may have been accidentally set alight.

Police investigators attended the scene early yesterday afternoon as work began on establishing the cause of the fire.

Svetlana Mihnevica, a childminder who was in the block at the time, said she had complained about the rubbish on a number of occasions.

She said: “It worried me when I saw it. I have made a few calls to the council, but nothing has been done.”

John Muir, who lives in the flat with his wife Sonia and escaped through the window, said: “I don’t know how the fire started but there have been chairs and plastic bags piled up in the stairwell.”

A police spokesperson said: “Inquiries into the circumstances are at an early stage.”

An Angus Council spokesman said: “Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are carrying out inquiries to establish the cause of the incident.

“Our officers have been at the scene since early this morning, assessing the damage and offering assistance to both residents and emergency services as required.

“Our housing service officers have offered alternative accommodation to families within the block.

“Cleaning of the affected areas will start once police colleagues have completed evidence gathering at the scene and any security issues will be addressed.”