Blaze claims man's life

Appliances came from Port Glasgow fire station

A 55-year-old man has died in a house fire just hours into the New Year, police in Scotland have confirmed.

Strathclyde fire brigade said the alarm was raised by a neighbour who noticed the blaze in the man's home on the first floor of the four-dwelling block in Port Glasgow, about 20 miles west of Glasgow, just before 0730GMT on New Year's Day.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said: "At around 7.30am this morning a 55-year-old male was discovered seriously injured at 34 Castlehill Avenue, Port Glasgow.

"He was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock where he was pronounced dead at 8.30am."

Pronounced dead

The victim was later named as Duncan McNeil Hunter.

A fire brigade spokeswoman said: "We were called at 7.25am after a neighbour called to say the house was on fire.

"Two appliances from Port Glasgow attended and four breathing apparatus and one hose reel were used to extinguish the fire.

"Fire crews rescued one adult male who, it has since been confirmed, was a fatality."

An ambulance spokeswoman said: "Crews carried out resuscitation on the man on the way to hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital."