Caravan regulation must be tightened in the wake of a fatal fire in Arbroath, it has been claimed.
A blaze which tore through a caravan on the outskirts of the town claimed the life of an elderly man, thought to be 81 years old, whose identity has not yet been revealed by the authorities.
Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at around 9.50pm on Tuesday night, and raced to Woodley Caravan Park which is popular with Eastern European workers.
Despite frantic efforts to reach the man, initially by neighbours, he could not be saved.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said she saw other residents at the site battling to get into the burning caravan.
She said: “The guys who live here were trying to get into it to save him but they couldn’t.
“Then the firefighters arrived. They really tried their best to save him.
“The firefighters managed to get in but it was too late.”
The woman added residents have been left “devastated” by the death.
She said: “All the people who live here are completely distraught.
“He was a hardy old man, and strong for his age. He would get the bus down to the town and go to the pub.
“Everyone around here used to help him out – even though they are seasonal workers and mainly from Eastern Europe it is like a family here.”
The badly damaged caravan, covered by a tarpaulin, remained cordoned off on Wednesday, with two police officers in attendance.
Arbroath West and Letham Independent councillor David Fairweather said: “First of all, my thoughts go out to the gentleman who lost his life in this tragedy.
“Angus has seen a considerable increase in residential caravans in recent years, and a previous incident in the county led to a significant tightening of rules of how these sites are managed, and the standard of caravans and facilities on offer.
“We need to establish if this was a tragic accident, and if neglect was a factor.
“I would like to see a greater inspection and enforcement regime that ensures these caravans are fit for purpose, and habitable, especially if vulnerable people are staying in them.”
Gordon Pryde, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Local Senior officer said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 9.49pm on Tuesday, April 10 to reports of a fire within a caravan park in Arbroath.
“Operations Control mobilised three appliances to Woodley Caravan Park, where firefighters extinguished the fire.
“Sadly, one individual was pronounced dead at scene.
“Crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.
A joint investigation between Scottish Fire and Rescue, and Police Scotland was scheduled to begin at 11.00am yesterday.
