Reaction to Forum fire events

RESPONSE: Emergency services attend the scene at Irvine's Forum Centre

The Ayrshire public have reacted to events of an overnight fire at Irvine’s Forum Centre, which forced nearby shop and route closures.

Fire crews were called in for a “large scale” emergency response and continued to control the blaze this morning in the North Ayrshire town.

Businesses such as Sally Beauty and Ivybank Vets were forced to closed with the Rivergate Centre having to restrict access from the town centre entrance.

People in the region showed their concerns for the events as images and video footage of the building’s damage circulated on social media.

One comment read: “We hope everyone is okay and are sending our best wishes for a speedy recovery and big get well soon to the centre.”

Another user said: “It’s sad to hear about the shops and I hope no one was hurt. A great job by ambulance, police, and fire brigade.”

The Rivergate took to Facebook throughout the day giving thanks to shoppers for their patience as restrictions remained in place.

A recent update after 2pm said: “Your cooperation helped the emergency services and our team manage the incident safely.

“While the majority of our stores have resumed trading, a small number of shops will remain closed for the rest of the day.”

Irvine’s Forum was known for its entertainment and shopping scene in the 1970s and 1980s with 46 trading units, including nightclub Ruby Tuesdays, within it.

The centre was closed in 2016 and auctioned at £350,000 but has since laid empty and derelict before the recent events.