Perth residents were evacuated from their homes on Monday afternoon after a section of a building collapsed.
A chimney stack and a section of brickwork on the Friar Street building came crashing down around midday.
The debris fell onto a number of council bins in a gated-off grass area just off the street.
Police confirmed there were no injuries following the collapse.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene not long after midday and deployed cherry picking equipment to address the fallen debris.
Fire crews were in attendance until just before 8pm.
Police cordoned off the area following the collapse and evacuated residents from the affected properties.
‘So scary for those who live there’
Perth and Kinross Council have advised locals to stay away from the area on Friar Street “for the foreseeable future”, which has been closed between Abbot Street and Queen Street.
The council are supporting residents who require emergency accommodation.
One neighbour said: “I can’t believe what I am looking at, all the chimney pipes are completely exposed and it looks like half the outer wall has fallen down with it.
“It’s really unsettling and worrying to see, it must have been so scary for those who live there.
“When I went out for my milk in the morning and I walked past that building and everything was completely fine, but next thing I know it’s all fallen down.”
The resident confirmed the fire service, police, SGN and Tayside Contracts were all in attendance on the street on Monday afternoon.
She added: “Most of the buildings around here are Victorian, but you don’t expect them to just collapse like that.
“Thankfully the rubble seems to have landed on the grass so hopefully no one got hurt, and it doesn’t look like it has hit the house next door.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 12.10pm on Monday, January 17, police were called to the Friar Street area of Perth, following reports of a chimney collapsing.
“There were no injuries, but residents from a number of properties have been evacuated whilst safety checks are ongoing.”
Due to an ongoing incident, Friar Street in Perth is currently closed between Abbot Street and Queen Street. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/TZAdNRH3os
— Perth & Kinross Council (@PerthandKinross) January 17, 2022
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We got the first call at 12:12 regarding a collapsed chimney on Friar Street in Perth.
“The first appliance arrived on the scene at 12:16.
“We got the stop message at 19:43 and the incident was handed over to police.”
A Perth & Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Fortunately, it appears no one was hurt in this incident.
“However, a number of properties have been evacuated and our housing team is supporting those residents who need emergency accommodation.
“We are also supporting requests from Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to fencing and a structural engineer.”
