Man who died in South Uist house fire named as William Hanks

The scene of Wednesday afternoon's fire on South Uist

A man who died after a fire broke out at his home at Kildonan on South Uist has been named by police.

William Hanks, 83, was found inside the house by firefighters called to the incident at about 17:40 on Wednesday.

The fire was brought under control by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), who said no-one else was in the property at the time of the blaze.

SFRS and police have begun a joint investigation into the cause of the fire.

Det Insp Richard Baird, of Police Scotland, said: "Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances and a comprehensive examination of the scene by specialists from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland is taking place today after work was carried out to ensure the building is safe to enter.

"I would like to thank the local community for their patience while emergency services attended this tragic incident."

"Our thoughts are with Mr Hanks' family at this difficult time."