'Considerable damage' caused in fire as man seen acting 'suspiciously'

The block of flats on North Street in Elgin were set on fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

‘Considerable damage’ caused in Elgin flat fire after man seen acting ‘suspiciously’ — North Street in Elgin, where the fire occurred. Jasperimage

27th Oct 2022

A flat block in Moray has suffered “considerable damage” following a fire police believe to have been started deliberately.

Officers are appealing for witnesses after a man was reportedly seen acting suspiciously in the North Street area of Elgin, where the fire occurred around 1.40am on Wednesday, October 26.

Crews from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to extinguish the flames and say considerable damage was caused to the building.

No one was injured as a result of the blaze however the residents of the property were forced to leave their home.

The man acting suspiciously near the scene has been described by police as wearing dark bottoms and a dark top with a white hood.

He was seen leaving in the direction of Harrison Terrace.

The damaged caused by the fire. (Jasperimage)

Detective Inspector Andrew Wilson said: “Fortunately no one was injured but damage was caused to the building and considerable inconvenience caused to residents who had to leave their homes while the fire was dealt with.

“I am appealing to anyone who knows this man or saw him, both before and after the incident, to get in touch as your information could assist with our enquiries.

“In particular, anyone with dash-cam or private footage that could help with our investigation is asked to get in touch.

“If you can help please call us on 101, quoting incident number 0206 of Wednesday, October 26, 2022, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”