Police investigating deliberate fire that tore through Kilmarnock shops
A tattoo shop owner has said his team has been "left with nothing" but will "bounce back" after a devastating fire tore through a number of town centre stores.
Police are treating the blaze in Kilmarnock's King Street as wilful and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
No one was injured, but a number of businesses have been impacted by the destruction.
The four-storey building partially collapsed, with East Ayrshire Council confirming parts of the listed property will need to be demolished "as a matter of urgency" to allow for recovery works and further assessments.
Hard Luck Tattoo had only opened within the building in June.
Speaking to Sky News, owner Niky Brown said he's still not allowed near the premises as emergency efforts continue.
Mr Brown said: "Insurance could take a number of years to pay out because it's a police matter, I've been told by one of my friends. So, basically, I'm running at zero now.
"Sixteen years I've been working and saving money to buy that place. I bought the place - it was a dream thing for me to do - but now we're left with nothing.
"But I've got a lot of good friends in the area, and they've been helping me out. We've been away viewing a couple of properties this morning.
"They're all saying that they're going to give me it for free until I can find my feet, which is amazing."
While there were no reports of injuries, other businesses that have been forced to close include Project Pop Up Scotland and Bonmarche.
Mr Brown said: "When I first saw the fire, my first thought was 'who's in the building?'
"That was the main concern for me because there's other boys in the building."
Mr Brown has set up a fundraiser to help the shop's team of eight get back up and running ahead of any potential insurance payout.
The GoFundMe has raised more than £27,000.
Mr Brown described Kilmarnock as a "community-driven place to live" and thanked all those who have shown support.
He said: "I've never really asked for anything in my life, I've always done things myself. I did feel a little bit embarrassed asking."
Mr Brown hopes the team will be able find a suitable premises and quickly get back to inking.
He added: "It's bricks and mortar. We'll bounce back - we always do."
Emergency crews were alerted to the fire in King Street shortly before 9pm on Monday.
At the height of the blaze, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) mobilised six appliances and specialist resources.
A single appliance along with specialist resources remain at the scene as efforts continue to make the area safe.
Surrounding roads were closed after the alarm was raised and Scottish Water warned local customers of potential disruption to their supplies with fire crews working in the area.
Police Scotland said the blaze is being treated as wilful.
Chief Inspector Scott McCurdy said: "We are treating the fire as deliberate and our investigation is ongoing.
"I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the fire and who saw anything suspicious to contact us.
"I would also ask anyone who was in the area and who may have dashcam or private CCTV which could assist us to get in touch."
Douglas Reid, leader of East Ayrshire Council, thanked the efforts of the emergency services as he announced a recovery fund would be implemented to support local businesses affected.
Separate support focusing on strategic engagement will also be provided to national chains and larger employers.
Councillor Reid said he "saw first-hand the scale of the disaster unfolding", adding: "It breaks my heart to say that regrettably parts of this listed building will need to be demolished as a matter of urgency to allow other recovery works to be progressed and further assessments continuing thereafter."
The local authority leader said the loss of Bonmarche had raised concerns over job losses, reduced footfall and the longer-term recovery of the town centre.
He added: "For now several local businesses are unable to trade due to safety concerns and road closures, and some have lost stock or incurred operational disruption.
"Several small businesses have been forced to close at short notice, with no clear indication of when they will be able to reopen.
"We won't know the full extent of the damage until business owners can regain access to their properties, and for some, this could result in a critical loss of income and jeopardise their ability to continue to trade."
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