Fire at former Dumfries hospital treated as deliberate

Fire crews were called out to a blaze at the old hospital building on Wednesday

A fire at a derelict hospital in Dumfries is being treated as deliberate, police have said.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was sent to the old Nithbank Hospital site at about 16:30 on Wednesday.

It said its last appliance had left the scene at about 07:15 on Thursday.

The SFRS said there were no reported casualties as a result of the incident.

The fire service scaled back its presence at the scene after a few hours

At the peak of the fire there were seven appliances working to bring the incident under control.

Police were also called out and advised nearby residents to close their doors and urged the public to avoid the area.

They confirmed that their investigations were ongoing into the incident.

"Inquiries are continuing into the cause of the fire which is currently being treated as wilful," said a statement.