Deliberate house fire treated as attempted murder

Police are treating a deliberate house fire in the Highlands as attempted murder.

Officers were called to a blaze on Wallace Place in Fort William at about 00:50 on Friday.

A woman and a girl were inside the house but they were not injured. Some nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution.

Detectives are now looking for two men who were seen in the area at the time.

One man was seen on Wallace Place wearing two-tone trousers with dark-coloured patches over the knees and a hooded top.

The other man was seen running on Bruce Place wearing a dark coloured jacket, baseball cap and shorts.

Det Insp Andy Bilton said: "Whoever is responsible showed complete disregard for the safety of the woman and a girl who were within the property.

"Luckily no-one was injured however the consequences of this dangerous and reckless act could have been much more serious."

He added: "If there are people in the local area with information that could assist or if you recognise the descriptions of the men given, please contact us.

"It is imperative to our investigation that anyone who saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinary gets in touch as soon as possible."