Blaze strikes child centre

A BLAZE has ripped through a derelict childcare centre in West Pilton.

The fire at the West Pilton Children's Centre started at about 1pm on Sunday with around 20 firefighters battling the flames for four hours.

The extent of the damage is unknown. Police are investigating if the fire was suspicious.

Further complications were discovered when Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service discovered asbestos in the roof, forcing them to treat it as a chemical incident.

Three fire appliances and one line of hose were used to get the fire under control, plus a number of special appliances and a thermal imaging camera.