A blaze at an abandoned shipyard has sparked calls to secure the site amid fears it has become a “hive” of drinking, vandalism and fly-tipping.
Concerned locals say primary school-age children are among regular visitors to the industrial wasteland in Buckie which is littered with a mix of beer cans and broken glass and scarred with graffiti.
Just minutes before the latest fire, children as young as 10 were seen playing behind fences near a derelict toilet block on Blantyre Terrace, which is now just a charred shell.
Crews battle fire in derelict toilet building at Buckie Shipyard
Police, it can be revealed, did not attend the incident because it was treated as “non-suspicious”.
But yesterday locals laughed off the response and called on officers to step up their presence in the area in the belief it may deter children playing in the “dangerous” quayside site.
Nearby resident Gary Smith explained that dozens of children at a time can descend on the shipyard when the schools are off.
He said: “They just treat it as a playground. There’s loads of them swarming all over it at times.
“Before the fire we were joking about them coming down because the schools were off.
“It’s usually not malicious, just breaking bottles and things. I don’t know how you can stop them though.”
Fly-tipping has become common-place at the crumbling dock with burnt furniture and carpets strewn across the concrete, which is understood to be privately owned.
Despite warnings urging people to keep out metal has been torn off the entrance to allow easy access.
Local Andrew Lees added: “They’ve got their own skate park set up in there with their own little ramps that they’ve made.
“There are signs up telling them to keep out but there’s nothing stopping them. They can walk straight through the gate.”
Another local said: “The children are constantly there. I just do not know what we can do about it.”
Three fire engines were sent to the fire at the former shipyard on Thursday evening.
Flames burst through the roof of the abandoned council-owned toilet block. It is understood that trespassers may have gained entrance through the rear of the building.
The most recent blaze came on a day when schools were having an in-service day. Several locals reported another fire in the area during the Easter holidays.
Yesterday Buckie councillor Gordon Cowie explained protective fencing would now be put around the charred remains to prevent further intrusions.
He said: “The whole area there is a hive of activity of children, especially when the schools are off. They just treat it like a den.
“There’s plenty for them to do in Buckie, there are skate parks and play parks just like everywhere else. Kids will be kids though, regardless of how irresponsible it is.
“At the end of the day, firemen risk their lives coming to these call-outs. We need to try and put a stop to it.”
Hopes are high that increased activity at the port could deter incidents in the long-term.
Moray Council is currently selling their nearby premises that used to be operated by Buckie Shipyard Ltd, which went bust in 2013 after 110 years.
A bid to buy the land is currently being considered by the authority after it was marketed as a potential manufacturing, offshore energy, shipbuilding or cargo base.
Police confirmed they were informed about the fire at the abandoned toilets on Thursday evening but decided not to attend.
A spokeswoman said: “It is being treated as a non-suspicious incident.”
A fire service spokeswoman added: “We are not investigating this incident as there is nothing to suggest from our side that it was deliberate.”
