A campaigner fighting to save a historic Aberdeen pool believes more should be done to protect the landmark after it was targeted by fireraisers.
Police are hunting for three teenagers who were seen on the roof of the derelict Bon Accord Baths around the time the blaze broke out on Thursday at about 8.30pm.
The trio, aged about 17, are described as having short, dark hair. One was wearing a red top and the others were in dark clothing.
It is understood the fire began at the shallow end of the art deco pool, which is owned by Aberdeen City Council.
Fire crews managed to extinguish the flames before too much damage was caused.
But last night Craig Adams, head of organisation and strategy for the Save the Bon Accord Baths campaign, said: “The council, I think, has a duty to protect these public assets, and they should be making sure the building is secure.
“They should be checking for if there’s any way for vandals to access these places.”
A council spokeswoman said they carry out “regular” security checks on the site, adding: “If we become aware of an issue, we take action to address it immediately.”
Mr Adams added: “It would be interesting to see how regular the city patrol is in this building. In my opinion we should have someone going around these buildings daily.”
The disused building is owned by the council, and the Save the Bon Accord Baths group hopes to form a partnership with them in the form of a lease and insurance for the building.
Their future aim is to raise in excess of £5million in repair grants to restore and renovate the property and bring them up to working condition.
The fire was tackled by two crews from Mounthooly station using a hose reel jet and two breathing apparatus.
They arrived to discover “heavy smoke” within the building following a call at 9pm, and managed to bring it under control within half an hour.
The council spokeswoman added: “It would appear, on initial inspection, that the fire did not cause excessive damage, though some tiles have been cracked. The building has been re-secured.”
Constable Adam Mellis appealed for anyone with information, or who saw the three youths, to come forward and said the incident “could have resulted in significant property damage”.