The external walls of the southern section of the Station Hotel building may be at risk of falling down following the recent fire at the property, council bosses have said.

South Ayrshire Council says its officials have come to the conclusion after inspecting drone footage taken at the site following the devastating September 25 blaze.

An initial assessment of the footage, according to the council, has confirmed what many people feared during and immediately after the fire - that the southern section of the structure, which had been designated a 'dangerous building' for five years before the blaze, has been extensively damaged.

Emergency services handed over the area to the council three days after the fire broke out.

Specialist contractors are now expected to start work on the southern part of the building next week. 

A council spokesperson said: "While it is still not safe to access the building, our structural engineers have assessed the drone footage that was taken last week.

"They have advised that the fire has caused extensive damage to the southern section of the building. The footage also suggests that the external walls of the southern section may be at risk of falling.

"The next stage of the safety works will, when it is safe to do so, involve a specialist contractor removing any potential danger at the southern gable and adjacent southern part of the building.

"These safety works may include partial or full demolition, however it is too early to say if this will be required. We expect this work will begin on Monday, October 23."

Work has already been undertaken to remove loose timbers and debris from the top of the exposed tower and adjacent roofline.

The authority says the specialist contractor's work will take around 8-9 weeks - but that this timescale will be "kept under constant review" because of the dangerous condition of the building, the resulting access restrictions, and the weather conditions.

South Ayrshire Council's leader, Councillor Martin Dowey, said: "The council has a statutory duty to carry out urgent safety works to dangerous buildings to reduce or remove danger to the public. 

"Our officers have been working closely with partners at Network Rail, ScotRail, Scottish Rail Holdings, Transport Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland to progress essential safety works at the former Station Hotel building.

"I know the situation is causing ongoing disruption to road and rail travel and we’re working collaboratively to minimise this.

“I met with the Scottish Minister for Transport last week, where we discussed the need to bring this situation to a safe conclusion as soon as possible.”

Trains remain suspended between Prestwick Town and Ayr, and between Ayr and Girvan, with no indication yet of when they might resume - ScotRail having warned in the days after the fire that disruption was likely to continue for several weeks.

David Simpson, ScotRail's service delivery director, said: "The devastating fire at the station has had a significant impact on ScotRail rail services in the south west of Scotland.

"Our immediate focus was on ensuring the safety of our passengers and putting in alternative travel and rail services as quickly as possible.

"Looking to the future, as efforts to make the building safe progress, we will continue to work with South Ayrshire Council, Network Rail, and other partners as we seek to restore rail services.”