A fire that destroyed a crumbling hotel in Fife was started deliberately according to police.
Cops in the Kingdom say they are following a "positive line of enquiry" in identifying the person responsible for the blaze that destroyed the Lundin Links hotel in Leven on Thursday August 18. The inferno began at around 8.40pm and took firefighters around 17 hours to extinguish.
The hotel had been closed for eight years and in the interim had become a frequent target of vandals and firebugs. Fife Council confirmed on Monday that the building is damaged beyond repair and will have to be demolished.
Police based in Levenmouth confirmed late on Monday that they are treating the fire as suspicious. They have asked members of the public who witnessed the fire and may have information to get in touch as soon as possible.
A tweet from the Levenmouth Police Twitter account said: "Another example of the devastation fire can cause! We’re following a positive line of enquiry to identify the person responsible, however would welcome any info from anyone who may have witnessed the events in Lundin Links about 8.40pm on Thursday 18th August."
The Lundin Links fire brings to an end a years-long saga of uncertainty around the derelict building, which locals had described as a disaster waiting to happen. The building's owner, Kapital Residential Limited, filed for liquidation in June.
Permission had been given to turn the C-listed hotel into flats seven years ago but the plans were never enacted. It has also emerged that Kapital was given an £850,000 Covid-19 loan from the Scottish Government, secured against the Lundin Links and another building, that was intended for housebuilders.
A spokesperson for Kapital said: "Sadly it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, no matter what we and Fife Council did to secure the building. Every couple of months we have had a fire despite our efforts.
"Planning permission was secured to convert the building into flats but this was delayed because of changes to Scottish Water policies which would have required huge changes on our part to fulfil the planning requirements.
"We were in discussions with Scottish Water in order to find a solution, along with local councillors, and were looking to sell the project on to someone to take it forward."
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