An attempted murder probe is under way in Ayr after a fire at a flat in the town.

Police were called to reports of a fire on the top floor of a block of flats in the town's Russell Drive at around 4.30am on Friday, September 9.

Early enquiries indicated the fire had been started deliberately.

Due to the circumstances, police are treating the incident as attempted murder.

It’s also believed to be a targeted attack.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Officers have been carrying out door-to-door enquiries and are in the process of reviewing CCTV footage for any additional information.

Detective Inspector Martin Prendergast said: “Thankfully no-one was injured, however, the fire was started deliberately and could have had serious consequences.

"I am appealing to local residents for any information they may have regarding this incident. Any small piece of information could prove to be the vital link we need as we continue to piece tougher the circumstances of what happened.

"I would also ask anyone in the area at the time to check their dash cam, or private space CCTV footage as it could have captured images relevant to our ongoing inquiries."

He added: “This incident will have generated concern in the local community and I would like to reassure everyone that additional officers will be on patrol in this area. Anyone with concerns can approach these officers.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident 0677 of Saturday, 10 September, 2022.

Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where you can give your information anonymously.