Tourists flock to burnt-out flat

A town centre building left gutted by a fire has become an unlikely draw for tourists. Clothes store CeeGees and the flat above on Crieff High Street, Perthshire, were destroyed in the blaze on 7 June. The building was demolished following the fire, but a shelf - complete with books and melted hi-fi - remains fixed to the second-floor wall.



An intact mirror and fireplace also appear suspended above the rubble. A window with a blind and pelmet - seemingly untouched by the blaze - can be seen on the far wall as well, next to a framed print. Locals said there was a regular stream of people stopping to take pictures of the strange sight.



Steve Rodgers, who owns the Pretoria Bar opposite the destroyed building, said: "It's a daily occurrence. You see tourists and locals with their cameras. It's becoming quite an attraction for folk. "I think it's the mirror above the fireplace that people like." A man and woman had to be rescued from the flat above the shop during the blaze, which closed the main road through Crieff for several hours.



A local shopworker, who did not want to be named, said it was "upsetting" that the building was being constantly photographed. He said: "To call it a tourist attraction would not be fair. It's an eyesore on the High Street. It's become quite depressing to look at. You can see a bookshelf and mirror still fixed on the wall and I can see why people would take pictures of it. But it's someone's life in ruins. It's sad."