Manhunt after Fort William home set on fire with woman and girl inside in murder bid

Police are hunting for two men after a home in Fort William was deliberately set on fire in an attempted murder.

Emergency services were called to the Wallace Place area at around 12.50am on Friday, April 25.

The blaze was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service while a number of nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution.

A woman and a girl were within the property at the time of the fire, but no one was injured as a result.

Investigating officers said they believed the fire was started deliberately in a targeted attack.

Detectives are examining CCTV footage from the local area and are working to identify people or vehicles seen around the time of the incident.

They are looking to speak to a man wearing two-tone trousers with dark-coloured patches over the knees and a hooded top, and another man who was last seen running in Bruce Place wearing a dark coloured jacket, baseball cap and shorts.

Detective inspector Andy Bilton said: “Whoever is responsible showed complete disregard for the safety of the woman and a girl who were within the property. Luckily no-one was injured however the consequences of this dangerous and reckless act could have been much more serious”.

“If there are people in the local area with information that could assist or if you recognise the descriptions of the men given, please contact us. It is imperative to our investigation that anyone who saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, gets in touch as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0140 of Friday, April 25, 2025.