I NOTe your report which states that “a lone figure caught on CCTV near the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) on the night of a second devastating fire has never been traced amid fears that wilful fire raising was the cause of the blaze ("So who's responsible?", The Herald, January 26)

Three and a half years later there are many unanswered questions.

Why was it left to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to investigate the cause of the fire? I understand its statutory role, but the police should have treated it as a crime scene until wilful fire-raising had been ruled out. Apparently, the police were focused solely on public safety.

The night of the fire followed a graduation ceremony the same day, June 15, 2018. Could there have been a connection? Were there any hints on social media at the time? Were students or members of staff aware of any implied threats?

At the time it was reported that the day after the fire, Tom Inns, the GSA director, reminded all members of staff by email that they should not speak to the media. Did the police speak to any of the Art School staff or request information from the public? Why was the CCTV image of a “lone figure” not publicised?

Perhaps given the success of GSA graduates in being awarded the Turner Prize for innovative art, the destruction of the venerated and world-famous Mackintosh building was the supreme act of iconoclasm, the ultimate statement of performance art.

Alastair R Moodie, Lochgoilhead, Argyll.

* INCREDIBLY, after three years, the Fire Service is unable to find the cause of the second Glasgow School of Art fire, and those responsible for the incompetence that allowed it to happen get away with it. Although most of the focus has been on the fire, the role of Scottish Water needs to be addressed. For any 21st century city to have to run hoses the best part of a mile to the river in scenes reminiscent of the Blitz, and the Fire Service having to ask for increased water pressure in the city centre, as referenced in the report, is disgraceful.

Stuart Neville, Clydebank.

MYSTERY OF THE BIKE CARRIAGE

DURING the second week of January I tried to take my bike on the train to Oban. I wished to try the specially adapted “bike carriage” which I knew was now in service.

Two days later, I abandoned this as futile, put my bike on my car and drove to Oban. All attempts to book using the ScotRail website, in person at the booking office and finally by phone, met with the same response. No availability of bike spaces on this service.

On my return journey, I visited Connel Ferry station when the Glasgow-bound train pulled in, complete with heavily logo’d and well-adapted carriage – empty of bicycles (and passengers too, because they charge an extra £10 to sit in there without a cycle reservation). I asked the conductor if he knew about the booking situation, and he looked surprised, saying: “So that’s why I’ve no' seen any bikes for weeks now.”

Is this part of the new Scottish Government ScotRail policy? Those of us old enough will remember this tactic used when the government of the time was starving the old British Rail into submission. Make a service too marginal and difficult to use, and use the falling popularity figures as a justification for closure and withdrawal.

I hope ScotRail will be able to enlighten us.

Jack Fordy, Alexandria.

WIRELESS ALARMS COULD BE ANSWER

I REFER to Mark Williamson’s article ("Fire alarm fiasco adds pressure on householders", The Herald, January 25) which quotes from a previous letter of mine printed in October 2020.

Unfortunately, the quote “Retro-fitting …. is hugely disruptive and prohibitively expensive” is taken out of context, and referred only to mains-powered detectors. Wireless interlinked detectors powered by long-life lithium batteries will satisfy the legislation, can be easily installed with very little disruption, and, as the probable cost of purchasing these appears elsewhere in the article, I leave it to readers to decide whether or not it is "prohibitive".

I remain of the opinion that this legislation is ill-considered and disproportionate. It will result in an enormous amount of money being spent without, in the vast majority of cases, any significant reduction in life risk. There’s never a good time for any government to squander its population’s money, but the continuing impact of the pandemic, and the looming cost-of-living crisis, surely make this possibly the worst.

Neil Sinclair, Paisley.

A CIRCULAR ARGUMENT

AS someone who trudges to the local bottle bank, who does her best to avoid broken glass when out cycling and abhors all the litter we see in our streets, I am appalled at the latest story of procrastination and delay to the deposit return scheme ("Delivery fears due to private firm’s role in running deposit return scheme", The Herald, January 26). The scheme is "industry-led", but wasn't it industry which objected to the scheme in the first place, saying that it would impose a huge burden, even though the same industry members can contribute to viable schemes in other European countries?

Circulatory Scotland, along with the Scottish Government, need to stop going round in circles and deliver the scheme we have been promised.

Patricia Fort, Glasgow.

DON'T GRIEVE OVER MACDIARMID

I WAS surprised to read Rosemary Goring's remark "and who mentions Hugh MacDiarmid any more?" ("Why Burns’s name lives while others fade from sight", The Herald, January 26). Well, maybe not in Hoolet, but he is well to the forefront in any discussions on Scottish literature in other parts of Scotland or elsewhere for that matter.

The recent publication of Landmarks – Hugh MacDiarmid: The Brownbank Years illustrated with paintings by Alexander Moffat and Ruth Nicol and poems by Professor Alan Riach and the accompanying exhibition at the Biggar and Upper Clydesdale Museum proves that MacDiarmid is far from being forgotten. Only last week the Association for Scottish Literature's Facebook page posted some of my own photographs and reminiscences of working with MacDiarmid in the 1970s, attracting comments from others who still take pleasure in discussing his legacy and reading his work.

Gordon Wright, Edinburgh.