AN INVESTIGATION into a Greenock house fire which left a partially-sighted man in a critical condition in hospital has concluded that the blaze was caused by an accident.
Detectives and fire chiefs who launched a joint probe into the blaze at the home of Gordon Percy confirmed yesterday that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
Mr Percy, 58, was seen being stretchered from the semi-detached property on Plover Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Paramedics conveyed him by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he remains in the hospital's intensive care unit.
His condition was still said to be critical yesterday.
The investigation got underway on Monday morning and was concluded on the same day.
Detective Sergeant Jonathan MacKinnon, of Greenock CID, said: "The investigation is complete and we can confirm that the fire was accidental."
The precise nature of the accident has not been revealed but it is understood that police have been liaising with members of Mr Percy's family about it.
Mr Percy — who featured in a Telegraph article shortly before last Christmas — told how he had become increasingly reliant on a white stick in recent months.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here