A Dundee conservationist says it is “only a matter of time” before a child is killed at the derelict Strathmartine Hospital on the outskirts of the city.
Karen McAulay, who leads a project for the conservation of the hospital’s heritage, expressed her concerns following a fire at the building on Wednesday.
Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
Karen said: “I find this incredible – derelict buildings don’t spontaneously combust.
“There have been known problems with vandalism and fire raising in this building. The person who reported the fire said that they saw the timber in the roof space well alight.
“The internal damage is already significant, due to structural collapses in the upper levels.
“If someone did go up there to start a fire, then it is quite a feat to come out alive.”
Karen explained that extinguishing a fire can be more damaging than the blaze itself.
She added: “The water sprayed to extinguish the fire weighs down the structures and can lead to floors collapsing.
“If kids go in there to muck about then it is only a matter of time before someone dies.”
A police spokesman said: “Police Scotland attended at the derelict building of Strathmartine Hospital, Dundee at about 8pm on Wednesday following a report of a fire in the roof space.
“There are no identified suspicious circumstances and the fire was extinguished by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.”