Police suspect that fires on board two motorboats moored in a Scottish harbour may have been started deliberately
Two motorboats moored in a Scottish harbour have been severely damaged by a fire that is thought to have been deliberately started.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Fire Control in Thornton, Fife, received a 999 call just before 10pm on Saturday 22 June informing them of a fire within St Andrews Harbour.
Two fire appliances rushed to the scene and firefighters, who found a well-developed fire aboard both boats, extinguished the blaze by using two main water jets before making the boats safe from the tide with secure lines. Firefighters and Coastguard officers then checked the boats, one of which was largely gutted, to ensure that nobody was aboard, and that there was no pollution.
An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the blaze, but North East Fife Police is treating the fires as suspicious due to footprints seen in the mud near the boats. However, a coastguard officer said that evidence had been lost with the rising tide, and was unsure if CCTV cameras covered that area.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the police via Crimestoppers on 0800555 111.
