Detectives have been scanning CCTV footage and sifting through forensic evidence in a bid to track the criminals who deliberately set fire to an auction house, razing it to the ground.
Chief Inspector Ian Scott, area commander for Perth and Kinross, has revealed that officers are pursuing various avenues in an effort to catch the vandals who caused the blaze at Iain M Smith Auctioneers and Valuers at Perth Airport on March 9.
It took firefighters almost five hours to contain the fire, which totally gutted the former auction house. Emergency crews rushed to the scene around 12.20am on March 9 to find a “well developed” fire.
The auction house was due to host a sale that day but many valuable items, including a sapphire ring, were destroyed.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire Rescue Service later stated they would be carrying out a joint investigation into the matter.
On Sunday, Mr Scott revealed that Perth detectives have been pursuing various avenues to shed some light on the crime.
“Inquiries are ongoing and it is very much a live case,” he said.
“CID have been speaking to witnesses, scanning CCTV footage and looking at forensic evidence. Officers have been linking in and working with staff from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the insurance company.”
He continued: “We’ve been testing some of the forensic evidence. It’s what we call a ‘slow time’ inquiry.
“I’m not the lead officer on this case but we would always advise places like auctioneers to look at potential fire safety issues – particularly those with older premises.
“It is a strange case and the fact that the whole site has been completely gutted presents real challenges to us.”
Meanwhile, Iain Smith, 54, who owns the auctioneers, said he would rather look “forward” than focus on the blaze. He stated that he is now operating from temporary premises at Perth Airport and aims to hold his first auction since the fire on May 4.
“Due to the fire destroying the former auction house we aim to rebuild a more modern building on the site,” he commented.
“We’ve identified around three-quarters of the people who had items for sale at the auction, which was due to take place on the day of the fire. Unfortunately we lost the sheet with their names and addresses but we still have a catalogue which provided their details.
“We’re getting there following the fire and I want to look forwards rather than backwards. What’s done is done and we need to move on now.”
Anyone with information on the incident should phone the police on 101.
