A number of Friar Street residents fear more properties could be at risk of crumbling after a section of a building on the street collapsed earlier this week.
People had to be evacuated from their homes on Monday after a chimney stack and facade of brickwork on the gable end of the building came crashing down.
The falling debris smashed onto local residents’ council bins, located below on a gated-off grassy area just next to the street itself.
A number of fire engines were reported arriving on the street just after noon, with part of the street soon cordoned off by police officers.
Fire crews deployed cherry-picking equipment to help assess and address the collapse to try and make the area safe.
No injuries to pedestrians were reported.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 12.12pm on Monday, January 17 to reports of a dangerous structure on Friar Street, Perth.
“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the scene to make the area safe.
“There were no reported casualties.”
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.”
SGN have been surveying the area throughout the week to ensure there is no damage to the gas lines.
A spokesperson said: “We were called to support the emergency services in Friar Street yesterday, following reports of a collapsed property wall and concerns regarding the proximity of our riser pipe.
“Our engineers determined there was no damage to the pipe upon investigation.
“Cutting this pipe off safely would result in disconnecting approximately 30 properties from our gas network.
“Despite there being no damage to the pipe, we’re working to establish an engineering solution to disconnect the pipe while maintaining the continuity of supply.”
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council added: “If a property owner is concerned about the safety of the structure of their property, it is their responsibility to take the necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the building.
“In an emergency situation the council may step in and implement measures to ensure the building does not pose a danger to the public and remains as safe as possible until repairs can be carried out by the owner; however, any work actioned by the council will be recharged to the owner.”
Since Monday a number of residents have voiced concerns over the current condition of the collapsed facade, as well as neighbouring chimney structures.
Friar Street resident Alex Ritchie, who lives 50 yards from where the collapse took place, said: “I heard it from my kitchen. My wife was with the car on the street and saw the whole thing falling.
“It was a rumble and made quite a noise. The house where it happened would have likely shaken quite a bit I would have thought.
“It fell where people keep their bins and it was all covered in rubble. The firemen were there for about 12 hours sorting through it.
He added: “People living at that end must now be thinking ‘What about the other chimneys?’
“The council can’t really do anything as they are privately owned. They can inspect them and give the owners the opportunity to remedy them.
“It looks precarious and a strong wind could cause even more problems at that end.
“It doesn’t look very safe.”
