Friends and neighbours have paid tribute to a man killed in a Perth flat blaze.
The victim of Sunday night’s fire has been named locally as 45-year-old Thomas ‘Tucker’ McLeish.
He was a well-known face in the city, having previously been homeless and a frequent beggar on the High Street.
Police have issued an appeal for information after he died in the St Catherine’s Square fire, with investigators spending Monday carrying out inquiries at the property.
Friends and neighbours reacted with shock to news of Mr McLeish’s death.
One friend said: “It’s raw. I’ve just found out. He was a decent guy and never did me any harm. He was trying really hard to turn his life around and I thought he was doing well.”
Another friend said Mr McLeish, who had been homeless and was known to beg outside Sainsbury’s on the High Street, had been wary of moving into the St Catherine’s Square block.
He added: “He preferred to sleep on the streets. But he was getting older and when the flat came up he decided to take it and had been there for about a year.
“He was quite a quiet guy and didn’t like too many people to know his business. He was secretive like that. But I liked him. We used to talk all the time.”
A neighbour said: “I can’t believe it, I’ve known Tucker and his partner for years and they always used to stop and have a bit of banter with us.
“He was a bit of a Jack the lad, but he was always up for a laugh and he never caused me any bother in the flats.
“I’ve heard people saying that they thought a gas cylinder might have exploded or something, but I’m not really sure what’s happened, to be honest.”
Mr McLeish’s partner was too upset to comment.
Emergency vehicles rushed to Old High Street after 10pm on Sunday night after smoke was seen rising above the city.
Two fire engines, two fire cars, two ambulances and five police cars attended. The fire services used jets of water to extinguish the fire and evacuated the building.
Paramedics treated Mr McLeish at the scene but were unable to save him.
The St Catherine’s Square complex remained cordoned off yesterday, with at least three officers still in attendance. Other officers carried out door-to-door inquiries.
