A murder probe has been launched by police after a man was found dead following a horror fire at a flat in West Dunbartonshire.
Emergency services raced to the blaze at a property on Tontine Park in Renton after the alarm was raised at around 7.25am on Saturday. Fire crews attended and extinguished the blaze - however the body of a man, who was fatally injured, was discovered within the bedroom of the flat.
The family of the man, who has not yet been identified, have been informed. Following a post mortem examination on Sunday, a murder investigation has been launched with cops from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team taking on the inquiry.
Pictures taken from the scene on Sunday morning showed an area of Tontine Park cordoned off by police. A blue forensic tent was pictured outside the property on the street.
The man was last seen alive around 10.45am on Friday, March 24, by a friend at the flat. His body was discovered the following morning and officers want to hear from anyone who may have seen, or spoke to him between these hours.
Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Thompson said: “Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since the deceased was discovered on Saturday morning. Door-to-door enquiries have been carried out and officers continue to gather relevant CCTV footage for any more information that could assist in tracing whoever is responsible for this murder.
“We are also working to establish a motive for this crime and are in the process of piecing together the deceased’s last known movements to find out as much detail as possible on the circumstances surrounding this death.
“I would urge anyone with information on this murder to contact us as soon as possible. Any witnesses, or anyone who holds any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, should get in touch with us.
“I’m aware the local community will be concerned by this incident and I would like to stress that everything is being done to catch whoever is responsible. Additional police patrols are in the area and members of the public are encouraged to speak to a police officer if they have any concerns.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0899 of March 25. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 6.59am on Saturday, March 25, to reports of a house fire in Renton, West Dunbartonshire.
“Operations Control mobilised two appliances to the town's Tontine Park, where firefighters extinguished the fire before leaving the area."
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