Security has been beefed up at an eerie ghost shopping centre following a fire bid by vandals.
The Arran Mall in Ayr has been locked down following last week's shocking attack which saw the centre trashed with yobs leaving a trail of destruction.
Two nights of carnage saw dormant units ruined, with one business owner telling last week how their storage facility inside the former retail hub was trashed. The mindless vandalism also forced the last remaining trader the Designer Rooms to close.
The furniture and home shop held a rapid closing down sell in a bid to shift at-risk stock.
Bosses at the Designer Rooms were called out to their original flagship store around 10pm on Sunday, May 14 after intruders set the alarm off. The rampage left them fearing the Arran Mall was "no longer safe" as they decided to call time on their 13 years at the High Street centre.
Vandals returned again on Monday, May 15 to wreak more havoc as they torched a bin. Since then old shop windows have been boarded up as part of a huge clear up.
Signs have been stuck onto the red gates at the entrance of the old Mall to ward off vandals or trespassers with CCTV in operation 24 hours a day.
A resident told Ayrshire Live: "It's like a fortress now, they have added CCTV cameras. It's all closed up now. It's too little too late, the damage has already been done."
Council chiefs confirmed they held discussions with the owner of the former mall, as discussions continue over its future.
Meanwhile South Ayrshire's top cop says officers are closing in on vandals, with a positive line of enquiry being followed.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lammie said: “We received reports of youth anti-social behaviour including a bin being set on fire and damage to a premises within Arran Mall, Alloway Street, Ayr, on Monday, 15 May.
“The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and there were no reports of any injuries. We are following a positive line of enquiry.”
A Council spokesperson said: "Following the recent vandalism, we liaised with the owner to request a strengthening of security arrangements."
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