Police say former Glasgow cinema fire was deliberate

Image source, Andrew Montgomery

Image caption, Nine fire engines were dispatched to the derelict building on Tuesday

Police are treating a fire at a former cinema in Glasgow as deliberate.

Nine fire engines and more than 40 firefighters went to the scene in Kilmarnock Road, in the Shawlands area, at about 19:00 on Tuesday.

Part of Kilmarnock Road and nearby side streets were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident at the building, the former White Elephant Cinema.

Officers believe the fire was "wilful" and have .

Nearby properties were evacuated but there were no reports of any casualties.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Around 19:15 on Tuesday, 11 July, we received a report of a fire at a premises on Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow.

"The fire is being treated as wilful and inquiries are ongoing."

'Hotspot inspection'

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said they were called to reports of a fire within the derelict building at 18:59.

An SFRS spokesman said: "Operations control mobilised a total of nine fire appliances to tackle and contain the fire."

One appliance remained at the scene on Wednesday morning to reinspect the building for any hotspots but left just after 09:00.

The cinema closed its doors in 1960 and was redesigned as shops, according to cinema history websites.

Roads in the area have reopened.