Emergency services called to blazes at same abandoned building four times in one week
Police and firefighters have been called to fires at the same abandoned building four times in a week.
The cottage, at the former Seafield School in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, has been targeted numerous times this month.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they have been called to the former residential school four times.
And a chief fireman has now issued a warning after being called to attend the property, which is owned by McLaughlin Construction, so many times.
The residential special school was run by the Quarriers charity and permanently closed in June 2014.
The main building, baronial-style and originally constructed as Seafield House in 1820, was gutted by fires in 2017 and 2019.
As well as a school, it served as a residential care unit housing vulnerable boys and young people with complex behavioral or social needs.
And the cottage within the grounds of the school has now been set alight on several occasions this month.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it had been called to attend incidents on September 18, 20, 21 and 22.
Area Commander Kevin Murphy, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's Local Senior Officer for Ayrshire, said: “We know that derelict properties can attract people wanting to explore or commit anti-social behaviour.
"However, these sites pose a number of risks to individuals including hidden voids in floors, unsafe structures and broken glass.
"There's a genuine danger to people's health and safety when they enter these structures.
"There is simply no way of knowing what you could encounter when entering a derelict property and I would urge everyone to be mindful of the dangers presented.
“Deliberate fire-setting is a crime and can cost lives, while also needlessly affecting resources and endangering firefighters who attend these incidents.
"Our staff work extremely hard to engage with the public to prevent these types of incidents.
"Through our proactive prevention work, we reach out to young people to warn them about the dangers of fire-raising.
"This includes school visits, charity activities, and educational programmes.
"We would always ask young people not to engage in any activities that endanger themselves or others, damage property or impact the availability of firefighters to attend emergencies.
“We will keep working with our partners to prevent these unwanted incidents.
"We also ask everyone in our community to support us in this effort.”
Police Scotland was also approached for comment.
Last year, North Ayrshire Council issued a Tree Preservation Order at the school after a number of trees were felled at the site.
The council's Tree Preservation Order (TPO) meant permission was needed for trees in the area to be chopped down or uprooted.
It came after site owners McLaughlin's Construction felled a number of trees, resulting in a number of complaints by neighbours in Witches Lynn in the town.
The main building was rebuilt in 1858, and later served as a hydropathic hotel before becoming a residential school.
It was operated by local authorities but later leased and bought by Quarriers, before being closed due to a lack of demand and funding.
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