A court ruling is allowing a home owner to sue Grampian Fire and Rescue Service for £50,000 for allegedly failing to tackle a fire properly.

Derek Burnett claimed that a fire in 2000 re-ignited more than 24 hours later and damaged his upstairs flat.

Mr Burnett has argued that if firefighters had fulfilled their duty the fire would not have re-ignited.

Lord Macphail ruled at the Court of Session in Edinburgh that the case could proceed to hear evidence.

Firefighters were originally called out to deal with a fire in a downstairs flat in Aberdeen's Victoria Road.

Mr Burnett owned a third floor flat but was absent when the fire broke out on the evening of 16 October, 2000.

The next night firefighters were alerted to another outbreak of fire at the same block. Mr Burnett maintains that the fire from the previous day had re-ignited.

The brigade had con-*test*-('")ed Mr Burnett's action and sought to have it dismissed.

Lord Macpahil decided that if the circumstances of the fire were as Mr Burnett claimed them to be then Grampian Fire and Rescue Service would owe him a duty of reasonable care at common law.

The court will next hear evidence about the facts of the case.

Interesting